12 Days of Christmas
by Eastendersfan444
Summary: A new Christmas themed story by Eastendersfan444 and Crazy Chick 74. On the first day of Christmas my true love sent to me…
1. Chapter 1

**Coming soon… **

**Check back at 8:00pm to see if you have a Christmas gift … ****we'll check with Santa to see if you've been naughty or nice! **

**Eastendersfan444 and Crazy Chick 74**


	2. Chapter 2

**AN: Well Crazy Chick 74 and I present to you our new story "Twelve Days Of Christmas" We hope that you enjoy reading it as much as we enjoyed writing it. **

**There will be one chapter posted per day from today, the last chapter will be posted on Boxing Day. **

**Please let us know what you think by leaving us some reviews. **

**Merry Christmas everyone xx**

**Prologue**

**Wednesday 30 November 2016**

22 year old Lauren Branning lay awake thinking about the things that had happened in Albert Square in the last four years.

She had gone to rehab after she had finally admitted that she was an alcoholic and needed help….the collapse, the hospital stay, finding out that she had alcoholic hepatitis as well as the stark harsh words from the doctors had scared her. She had been close to death, very close. But somehow she had found the strength (with the help of her parents and sister) to do something about changing her life.

When she came out of rehab she was scared of how she would cope in the outside world without the support of the staff at the rehab centre, especially so when she had returned to Walford, she knew that she had a lot of things to apologise for and a lot of people to apologise to.

She discovered that some people were more forgiving than others.

There was a time when she thought that her relationship with Joey would pick up from where it had left off. That idea was one of the main things that kept her strong and determined throughout the time she spent in rehab. She had realised that Joey coming into her life was one, if not the best thing that had happened to her and that the blame for the demise of their relationship, of their friendship laid firmly at her door.

So she focused on what she wanted for the future, and that was Joey. Joey was her own personal incentive to get better.

Returning to the square she found out that there was definitely something still between the two of them, which neither of them could deny.

She had bravely asked him outright if he still loved her, and he had responded by tenderly pushing her hair behind her ear, his fingers stroking her cheek softly. And if that wasn't enough to convince Lauren that Joey still had deep feelings for her, there was also their near kiss in the kitchen in her house, but that moment was sadly interrupted by Kirsty, her father's wife. Well ex-wife now. She had left Walford after Max had kicked her out and from what Lauren had heard she was now back with her ex Carl. The man responsible for her father nearly being sent down for attempted murder.

But things between her and Joey didn't work out the way that she had wanted them to. Joey had told her that he wanted, that they needed to take things slowly, to build up the trust between them, to rebuild their friendship before they could even consider starting a relationship. Lauren had to admit that she was more than a little disappointed and a little hurt by his decision.

Then she had met someone else.

Jake Stone.

Jake was also an alcoholic she met him at her counsellor's office and they had hit it off immediately.

He was everything that Joey wasn't. He was older, more mature, he actually listened to her when she talked about how difficult she was finding things, but the biggest difference between them was that he understood.

Romance wasn't on her mind at that time, she was still keen for things to work out between her and Joey, she had, albeit reluctantly, agreed with Joey that they needed to take things slowly between them, so they were friends, more than friends, but not, if that made sense. But all that changed when she discovered that whilst she was away, he had slept with both Lucy and Whitney.

Her so called two best friends.

Everything had got a little too much for her and as the saying goes old habits die hard. She had taken her first mouthful of alcohol in two months, and okay yes she had spat it out, which was something that she wouldn't have been able to do 6 weeks earlier. She had also told her counselor, who was very impressed with her and proud, and if she was honest she was proud of herself. But when Joey and Whitney had found out about it, well their reactions weren't what Lauren was expecting and she had lost her temper with both of them and told them a few home truths.

She remembered the look on Joey's face when she had told him that she didn't need him and that he could sleep with whoever he wanted to…well everyone except her. She had turned and walked away from both of them, her head held high. Feeling a lot stronger than she had done for weeks.

After a few tense weeks, she and Joey had become friends again but she wasn't interested in a relationship with him anymore. She had found romance with someone else, with Jake Stone. Yes she was shocked to discover that he was married, something that he didn't tell her until they had been seeing each other for a month, but he had quickly added that his marriage was over and that his future lay with Lauren.

As the weeks passed, Joey had noticed that she was acting differently around him and she had been secretly pleased that the news she had a boyfriend seemed to piss off Joey and make him jealous. She knew that he was jealous when he confronted her over her new boyfriend and demanded to know who he was. They didn't really talk much after that, in fact Joey seemed to be avoiding her.

Their relationship took another turn when her cousin, Joey's baby sister Alice, had been arrested for the murder of Michael Moon and Joey had been devastated. Lauren had immediately gone to see him and told him that she would be there for him when he needed to talk, when he needed comfort and they had repaired their friendship. She tried to talk to Joey about her illness, her alcoholism but he didn't seem to understand that she wasn't "cured" that this was something that she would live with for the rest of her life. He just shrugged and told her that she was better now and that he knew that she wouldn't be that stupid again.

Her new romantic relationship with Jake seemed to be going from strength to strength until she discovered that his wife was going to take him back and that he had decided to give his marriage another shot, for the sake of their daughter Rosie, he had told Lauren that things between them were over, leaving Lauren feeling hurt, betrayed and humiliated. So she had gone to the one person that she knew she could talk to, that she could rely on.

Joey.

He answered the door in his dressing gown and Lauren was surprised and jealous to discover that he had "company". She was even more surprised to discover that his "company" was in the form of Janine Moon. The wife of the man his sister had been accused of murdering.

She thought she saw regret and guilt on Joey's face when she realised that he had moved on. He had sought her out the next day to make sure that she was okay. She had lied and said that she was, that she was just having problems with her new fella, made a joke that she was still a drama queen and that she was sure that things would work out. She didn't ask him about Janine, to be honest even though she was very curious, she didn't want to know.

Lauren was jealous, incredibly so. Admittedly she didn't want him but that didn't mean that she wanted anyone else to have him either. Yes she knew that that was selfish, but it was just the way she felt. She also thought that Joey could do so much better than Janine, she just didn't seem to be his type. Older, recently widowed with a kid.

So she threw herself into her relationship with Jake, trying everything that she could to get him to start seeing her again and her attempts worked. She was seeing Jake again. She was having an affair with a married man. She had got what she wanted and she was happier than she could ever remember being.

There was a little bit of a cloud in her silver lining, after Janine had discovered that her own relationship with Joey had been a ploy to get Janine to admit that she was responsible for the death of Michael and not his sister, to cut a long story short, Janine had been arrested and Alice was released. Joey had decided that he was going to take her away from the square and on Boxing Day 2013 he had told Lauren that he was leaving, that with his sister returning to his mothers and with the R&R being run by Roxy and Ronnie again, he had lost his job and there was nothing left to keep him in the square anymore. She was surprised by how upset this made her feel. In truth she was a little hurt that SHE wasn't reason enough for him to stay. She didn't want him to go. She wanted him to be around when she needed him. Surprising her even more, he told her that he still loved her and that he wanted her to come with him and then he had kissed her.

She had told him no. That she was happy with her life here in Walford, she had admitted to Joey that she loved him, that she would always love him and she was really tempted but right now...this was where she needed to be. This was where she wanted to be.

She frowned, even as she thought about that now; it still brought back the painful feelings that she had then as she'd watched Joey walk away from her; she shook her head, and forced herself to think about happier things.

***L*L* **

She yawned and she smiled at how things were now. If someone had told her that three years later she would have got everything that she wanted she wouldn't have believed them. She stretched with a sigh and she rolled over in the bed and she smiled at the man that lay beside her.

"Morning" she murmured softly

"Morning" he replied smiling back at her

"What's for breakfast?" she asked him

"Whatever is in the kitchen" he replied his eyes sparkled "remind me again whose turn was it to buy food yesterday?"

Lauren groaned and she closed her eyes "so it's mouldy bread and half of a bowl of cornflakes to share?" she asked

"I'm not going to deny you a single mouthful of that very appetising sounding breakfast. I am planning to buy myself a nice big fry up in the café"

"Mmm sounds good" she replied rolling towards him "you can buy me one too" she suggested with a smile

"Well if you want me to do that then you will have to earn it" he smiled at her, drawing her closer to him

"Earn it how?" she asked him

A grin spread across his handsome face "you know how" he said as he moved forward and planted a series of small open mouthed kisses along her throat.

"Mmm" she murmured softly as she felt her body reacting to his touch.

She smiled to herself, she was a very lucky girl. She had a beautiful home, a very handsome and sexy boyfriend, a good job illustrating children's books, her boyfriend was very hardworking and successful in his line of work. He was understanding of her illness and knew how she struggled with her addiction every day. He was romantic, often surprising her with candlelit dinners that he had cooked himself, not only was he extremely talented in the bedroom, but his culinary skills were out of this world. Yes Lauren Branning was a very lucky girl. But there was one thing that she wanted more than she wanted anything. She wanted to marry the man that was currently doing wondrous things to her body. She had dropped a lot of hints over two years, leaving bridal magazines lying around, always making sure that when they went out shopping that they paused at jewellery shops so she could point out potential engagements rings to him. Last Christmas she thought he'd taken the hint and her hands were shaking as she opened a little black velvet jewellery box but she had to hide her disappointment when she discovered the gift inside were some very beautiful diamond earrings and not the solitaire diamond ring that she had hoped for.

Of course she couldn't blame him for not wanting to get married, he didn't have the same outlook on marriage that she did. His view of marriage was somewhat tainted by his past.

The lips on her neck were suddenly gone and she frowned and she looked into the eyes of the man she loved.

"You know, this sex thing…. it kind of helps if you are in the same room as me" he told her with a mock annoyed look

"Sorry, I am... my mind had just wandered…" she said sheepishly

"Well that helps my ego a lot. Thank you" he said as he bent his head and he kissed her softly just as her stomach rumbled loudly. "Okay I'll do a deal with you" he told her "I will buy you breakfast at the café if you promise me that after breakfast we can come back to bed?" he asked her

"You have a deal" she replied as she circled her arms around his neck and drew his lips back down to hers.

"Okay come on… get up. The sooner we have breakfast the sooner we can come back to bed" he told her pulling away from her, she nodded and she watched as he climbed out of bed naked and walked out to the bathroom.

*L*L*

After they had eaten and were making their way back to their flat, she glanced at him "So have you thought about my idea?" she asked him, she was worried that he would think that it was silly and childish, but she thought it would be fun

"The 12 days of Christmas idea?" he glanced at her and he nodded his head "Yeah as a matter of fact I have and although I think it's so a certain person doesn't have to wait until Christmas Day to open her presents, I do actually think it's a great idea" he told her

"Yeah?" she looked at him with a grin.

"Yeah I like it" he unlocked the door and let Lauren step inside first. She shrugged off her coat and hung it up on the peg by the door and she made her way towards the bedroom. "It's a good idea, different, unique" he nodded his head "I say we do it" he said as he followed her. "Remind me of the rules again" he asked her as she sat on the bed to take off her boots.

"Well the gifts have to be based on the gifts that are given in the song 12 days of Christmas. If you can't buy the actual thing then the gift you give has to have elements of the gift given in the song"

"So for example?" he frowned as he stripped off his clothes, pulled back the duvet cover and climbed into bed.

"For example…." She frowned as she struggled with the zip on her dress, he sat up behind her and she smiled as she felt him unzip it for her before his lips nuzzled her neck "on the seventh day the gift is seven swans a swimming… since you can't actually buy swans and even if you could we have nowhere to keep them, the gift has to have something to do with swans, water and there has to be seven of them" she explained "and the gifts don't have to be expensive, and they can be silly as you like so they fit in with the theme"

"Okay, got it" he said watching as she stood up and slowly, possibly deliberately took her clothes off "So who goes first?"

"Me" she told him "I already have the perfect gift in mind, then the next day is your turn then my turn and so on" she said as she slipped into bed.

"And when do we start?" he asked her

"Well we both need some time to plan out the gifts, get some ideas so… we start on the 14th December" she said with a smile as she moved forward and kissed him. "And the last present will be given on Christmas Day"

"Done" he replied as he rolled her onto her back "I'm looking forward to seeing what you get me" he told her with a smile

She grinned at him "I already have some ideas and I can't wait to see the look on your face" she told him with a giggle.

He smiled at her "I believe that you and I have a deal Lauren Branning" he reminded her

"Mmm, that's right we do" she slowly trailed her hands up his arms and she slid her fingers into the short hair at the back of his neck as she drew him towards her for a kiss, which he more than willingly gave.

As they kissed their desire for one another took over. Hands softly caressed naked flesh, lips kissed and teased, tongues duelled. Lauren moaned and mewled beneath her lover, digging her nails into his back as he brought her to the peak she was craving, she arched her back and broke the kiss

"Oh god… right there…"she moaned, "…more… more…"he increased his rhythm as he felt her core tighten around him, "OH!" she cried out as she exploded around him, his name falling from her lips over and over, sparking his own release…

Moments later he brushed his nose against hers and then stole a kiss, "I love you Lauren" he murmured against her lips.

She smiled and reached up and cupped his face her hand, she ran her fingers over his chin, feeling the stubble beneath them, her thumb brushed over his lips. "I love you too Joey"

**AN: Hi, This is Eastendersfan444 here. Okay so hands up all of you who thought she was with Jake? **

**So I hope you all get the concept of the story…. Each day Joey and Lauren are going to give each other a gift based on the 12 Days of Christmas song….. The next chapter is also my chapter so I hope you like the gift that Lauren gives Joey. **

**I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. **

**As always R&R **

**Next Chapter tomorrow… A Partridge In A Pear Tree by Eastendersfan444**


	3. Chapter 3

**Wednesday 14 December 2016**

Today was the first day that Lauren and Joey would start their 12 days of Christmas gifts and Lauren was rather pleased with herself for the idea that she had for today and she hoped that Joey would like it. She just had to make sure that she pulled it off. After Joey had left for work, she went shopping to buy the things that she would need, she also made a quick stop at Scarlett's to see Ian. After she had hidden her purchases away, (in case Joey came home for lunch, which he did quite often) she checked the time, she had a few hours before she needed to get started so she went into what used to be the spare bedroom, but was now her newly converted office and sat down at her desk. She set the timer on her phone so that she wouldn't lose herself in her work like she normally did.

She read the children's story that she was illustrating, it was about a duck called Quackie and the marvelous miracles that seemed to happen when he was near, she frowned thinking that it was a crappy story but it was still a job and she got to do one of the things that she loved doing the most, drawing, so she picked up her pencils and she started to bring Quackie to life.

*JL*JL*

When the alarm on her phone went off two hours later, she put down her pencils, pleased with the sketches that she had already completed. As she started to put away her things, her phone started to ring, she picked it up and saw that it was Joey, she headed towards the kitchen as she answered it.

"Hello you" she smiled

"Hi gorgeous" he replied "Listen, have you started dinner yet?" he asked her

"No…but I am just about to…" she frowned "why?" she asked him "please tell me that you are not working late again tonight" she said to him with a sigh "I thought you were going to work regular hours now that you have hired new bar staff…."

"I'm not working late tonight, but I will be home late" he said to her

"What does that mean?" she asked him with a frown

"It means that I'll be finishing work at the normal time and that I will be home for dinner but not until later" he said to her

"And why is that?" she asked him her tone letting him know that she wasn't impressed.

"I saw Fats at lunchtime and he wants to have a drink with me after work, apparently he needs some man to man advice about something, I think he has a problem with Poppy" he said to her "If you don't feel like cooking then I can bring a takeaway home"

"What time will you be home?" she asked him

"I'm not sure" he told her "Depends how long he wants to talk for and what it is about" Lauren sighed and Joey took a deep breath "babe are you still there?"

"Yes I am still here" she replied

"So do you want a takeaway?" he asked her

"No Joey I don't want a take away" she said closing her eyes. "I am going to cook dinner and if you are not home by 8 o'clock then we may as well forget about the 12 day's gifts' she told him

"Crap! Are we starting that today?" he asked her

"Well that's up to you now, isn't it Joey?' she let out a sigh

Joey closed his eyes "I'll be at home at 8 babe" he told her

"You'd better be" she replied and she hung up. She went back into her office, if Joey wasn't going to be home until 8:00pm there was no point in starting dinner now.

Joey couldn't believe that he had forgotten that they were starting the gifts today. He could have kicked himself, he already had her first gift ready and was excited about giving it to her, he knew that he had obviously upset Lauren by forgetting and he knew that he would have to make it up to her, so he decided that he would tell Fats that he couldn't stay long and he would be home in time for dinner.

*JL*JL*

At 5:00pm, Lauren started to prepare dinner. The recipe was complicated and it took her over an hour to prepare everything before she had even started to think about cooking it. She lit the oven and put the dish inside. She checked the time and the recipe again to make sure that she hadn't missed anything, once she reread the recipe she was satisfied that she had done everything right and that all she had to do was wait for the food to be ready. She cleared the kitchen table that they also used as a dining table, she laid the newly purchased Christmas tablecloth over the table and put the placemats and cutlery down, when she had finished she realised that she had forgotten the centre piece. One of the most important parts of her gift. Retrieving it from her office she put it down in the middle of the table. She stood back and looked at it. The table was perfect. She smiled, she only hoped that the meal was too and that Joey actually remembered to turn up on time. Her smile faded slightly as she thought about Joey not turning up, she would have wasted all this time, all this money….No. He promised her that he would be there. Joey breaking his promises to her didn't happen often and when they did there was usually a good reason for it.

She knew that Joey would be here.

Whilst dinner was cooking she went into the bedroom and got changed out of her sweats and t-shirt. She chose a little black dress and low heeled shoes to wear. She checked on dinner before she brushed her hair through and styled it with loose curls, leaving it down, just the way that Joey liked it. She applied a light layer of make-up and she checked the time. Joey was due home in 20 minutes.

She put the vegetables on to boil and then she made a fruit juice cocktail like he had shown her and she put the glasses down on the table.

At eight o'clock everything was ready, she served the food up on to the plates and she covered them with plate cloches that she had borrowed from Ian. With nothing else to left to be done she walked to the window and looked out, smiling as she saw Joey crossing the square and then a few moments later, she heard his key in the lock.

She hurried to the door and smiled up at him as she helped him take off his jacket and gave him a quick kiss on the lips.

"I'm sorry I'm late babe" he told her

"You're just in time" she smiled at him "I hope you are hungry"

"I'm starved. Fats ordered food and my stomach was rumbling the whole time. Dinner smells great" he said. Lauren hung his coat up and he noticed that she had changed from this morning. "And you look beautiful, as always" he said as he reached for her and drew her towards him.

"Go wash your hands" she wriggled out of his grasp and shooed him into the bathroom.

When he returned she took his hand and led him to the table. The first thing he noticed was the Bonsai Tree "Interesting choice for a centre piece" he said with a slight confused frown

"It will all make sense" she said to him as they he say down, she lifted the cloche off of the plate and Joey looked down at the plate of food in front of him.

"Wow Lauren this looks amazing" he said impressively

"Let's just hope that it tastes great too" she told him as she sat down removing her own cloche. "It took ages to prepare before I even started to cook it"

She picked up her knife and fork and watched as Joey cut into his meat and covered it with some gravy before putting it into his mouth "Mmm, this is …this is..."

"Is it horrible?" she frowned her face falling "didn't I cook it long enough?"

"No it is delicious" he shook his head "Is it quail?" he questioned

"Nope" she said as she loaded up a fork to taste for herself. "Mmm this is good" she said pleased with herself

Joey took another mouthful "I can taste pears" he said and he looked at Lauren questioningly, she smiled nodding her head

"Think 12 days Joey" she said to him as they ate

When they had finished he took a drink of the cocktail and he licked his lips "you are incredible in the kitchen" he told her proudly 'I guess some of my expertise has rubbed off on you a little hey?"

"I guess so" she replied with a smile

"So I am thinking that dinner has something to do with the 12 day gifts?" he asked her and she nodded "So it wasn't quail" he said thoughtfully. "There were roast pears….." he looked at the Bonsai tree as he thought and suddenly everything clicked into place "Oh roast partridge" he said to her with a smile "A Partridge In A Pear Tree" he said smiling as they got up and walked through to the lounge, "well that gift was very original and well thought out" Joey said to her with a smile as they sat together on the sofa, Lauren snuggled against his side

"Well I am glad that you liked it. I decided that my first idea lacked that certain something" she said to him. "I was just going to buy you a frozen partridge, a bonsai tree growing kit and a tin of pears, but I thought I should put a little more effort into it" she told him "don't expect this much effort every day though, I have a lot of work to do, I have five books to illustrate" she told him "I have to finish one tomorrow and I have a counselling session to go to in the morning"

"Is that tomorrow? What time?" he asked her

"Really early 8:00am"

"Okay well then maybe we should have early night" he said kissing her neck

"What about the cleaning up?"

"I'll do that in the morning" he said as he stood up, he took both of her hands in his and he led her towards the bedroom.

"Happy first day of Christmas Joey!" Lauren whispered against his lips as she kissed him

**AN: Hi it's Eastendersfan444 again….. So what did you think of the first gift that Lauren gave Joey? And the fact that he nearly blew the whole thing before it had even started….any ideas on what Joey's planned for Lauren for tomorrow? **

**Crazy Chick 74 and I would be interested on your thoughts for what the couple could have gotten each other for the rest of the gifts. **

**Hope that you are enjoying the story. **

**R&R as always …. Don't be shy now. **

**Back tomorrow with …. Two Turtles Doves by Crazychick74**


	4. Chapter 4

**Thursday 15 December 2016**

So today was the second day of the Christmas presents idea. Joey sat in the office checking out what he had planned for his gifts for Lauren. He was pretty sure that Lauren expected him to do silly gifts for his days... and yes, he was going to do a couple of silly ones but he had serious ones planned too. In fact he had very specific plans for the gifts he was giving her and he hoped she liked them.

His relationship with Lauren had been... eventful. Both of them had made mistakes; Lauren with her drinking and Joey with sleeping with her friends. In some ways he viewed his mistakes as the biggest out of the two of them. He now understood that her mistake was an illness and was a result of the many issues that had been thrown at her throughout her life. It had built up to the problem she'd had over a long period of time and by that stage she was reliant on the drink and didn't even realise it was a problem. His mistake had been a conscious decision... a poor one, obviously... but he chose to sleep with Whitney and Lucy. He had known how much sleeping with those two girls would hurt her and maybe subconsciously that was the reason he did it. He tried to convince himself it was because he was missing her... and he had been. He had even said it was because he didn't think she was coming back but in his heart he knew she would be back. If he was truthful, he had wanted to hurt her; it was spiteful, but he had.

He thought back to his gift from her last night... And how he'd almost screwed that up too by first of all forgetting that yesterday was the first day of Lauren's idea and then by nearly being late. The meal had been lovely, as had his gift. He made a promise to look into bonsai tree maintenance in the next few days. The dessert had been even greater. The dessert had been Lauren... and she had tasted divine.

He walked over to the safe and unlocked it; he pulled out his gift for her for lunch time. It was already wrapped and had been for several days. He smiled as he thought about her reaction when she opened it.

He put the gift in his desk, locking it inside. He sat down again and looked at the computer, seeing a couple of emails about the next few days in his inbox. He smiled and then he started working on the accounts as Phil wanted them before the Christmas break so he needed to do it this morning because the evening shifts were getting manic now, even though he had hired new bar staff, he was still covering more shifts than both he and Lauren liked.

His thoughts drifted back to Lauren; like they always did these days. He still clearly remembered the second hardest day of his life; almost three years ago. Boxing Day 2013. The only day harder had been the day he'd ended their relationship. He'd thought that was difficult and it had been. Then he left the square. And he'd asked Lauren to go with him. Their relationship had improved a little since Alice was arrested. For a few seconds he'd thought she was going to say yes. He'd really wanted her to say yes. He needed her to say yes. Then she broke his heart and said no. He understood why she did; he knew she would need her family around her, in order to get better but he was being selfish because he needed her too... and he'd hoped that she needed him.

So he'd left the square, sharing one last kiss with Lauren before he went. He poured every ounce of emotion he felt for her into that one kiss and then left. Remarkably changed from when he'd arrived in the square eighteen months earlier. Eighteen months and one girl had changed him, changed him forever.

*JL*JL*

You would think that everything was over for the two of them then... but never say never with Lauren and Joey Branning. Their relationship was always a challenge. Joey guessed it always would be and that thought made him happy. He liked a challenge and Lauren was most definitely that, at times. He was sure she would say the same thing about him too.

Anyway two weeks after he'd left the square, she turned up at his mum's house, a small overnight bag in her hand and said she'd changed her mind. She stayed for a couple of weeks, both of them re-affirming their relationship in the best way they knew how. Sex. It had always been an easy part of them being together. It was something they both enjoyed... and dare he say it, they were good at it too. It was the other stuff; the talking to each other, trusting each other, relying on each other, those were the bits they struggled with.

Those were the bits they'd been working on ever since. Lauren had, of course convinced him to return to Walford within the space of six months and they'd moved into Jack's old flat. He'd got a job running R&R's for Phil, since Roxy and Ronnie had departed for sunnier climates, and the two of them had settled into a happy, peaceful life.

They'd still had their ups and downs. Last Christmas in particular had been a challenge. Lauren, bless her, thought she was being subtle but she really wasn't. Joey had easily picked up what she wanted and when he didn't give it to her, well, it had led to a tense few days.

*JL*JL*

Joey settled back into his work, when he was finished he made his way home, smuggling the wrapped gift into the flat without Lauren seeing it. He hid it in their bedroom, on his side of the bed. He would get it for her again after they'd had their lunch.

He was in the kitchen getting it ready, when she got home from her counselling session. He glanced at her as she put down her things and took off her coat, trying to assess how it had gone. Sometimes she would come back from the meeting and she would be happy; almost at peace. Then there were days when she would be upset and needing comfort or she'd be angry. She turned around and smiled at him softly. He smiled back and when she walked over to him, he put his arm around her waist, pulling her against his body and she curled into him. Joey kissed the top of her head softly and finished heating the soup.

"Would you like your present now? Or lunch first?" he asked her softly.

"Lunch first..." she said, her face flushing because she knew that if she was to open the present now... lunch would become a dim distant memory.

"Sit down then, babe." He said, reaching up with his hand and brushing her hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear and seeing the soft smile on her face. She looked up at him, her eyes shining as she pressed her cheek into his palm. It was only when he turned back to the hob and picked up the saucepan to serve it up that Lauren moved away, going to sit down at the small table.

They ate the soup in a comfortable silence, Joey's hand holding hers as they lay on the table. His excitement was building at the thought of her opening his gift and he was sure she could tell because she kept looking at him intently. "That was lovely..." she whispered once their food was gone.

He smiled at her, "So I guess it's time for your present now then..." he said softly.

"Mmm..." she said, squeezing his hand and smiling at him.

He stood up, bending down to kiss her on the mouth deeply, "I'll be back in a minute." He breathed against her lips. He walked as slowly as he could force himself to, to their bedroom, reaching inside his bedside table for the gift bag. When he got back into the kitchen he saw that Lauren had tidied away and rinsed their bowls and the saucepan, ready to be washed that evening. He sat back at the table and slid the gift bag across to her.

She looked at him when she saw it, "I thought we were doing silly little gifts?" she said.

"We are... but I saw this and I couldn't resist..."

Lauren looked at the gift bag, seeing a small grey kitten sitting in a Christmas stocking on the side of the bag. She glanced at Joey again, seeing the anticipation... and was that a little fear... on his face. She opened the gift bag and saw a wrapped box inside. Her heart began to race because suddenly she knew he had brought something extravagant. Her gift from the previous day suddenly seemed silly. She pulled the present from the bag, feeling the weight (or lack thereof) of it in her hand. "Joey..." she whispered, glancing at him.

"It won't explode, babe..." he teased her.

Lauren tore into the paper and bit her lip when she saw the dark blue box inside, the tiny silver writing in the centre of the lid. She glanced at his face again, the darkness and intensity of his eyes briefly making her lose focus from what she was doing. She put the box on the table and undid the lid, inside was the grey spongy stuff that padded the contents and she pulled that out. She gasped as she saw what was nestled within. Two Swarovski crystal turtle doves. One of the doves had a metal heart hanging from its mouth with tiny crystals around it. "It's beautiful, Joey..." she whispered. "It must've cost a fortune."

"It didn't but if it had... you're worth it..." He said.

Lauren got to her feet and moved around the table, bending down and kissing him tenderly. He grabbed her around her waist and pulled her onto his lap, deepening the kiss. "I love you, Joey..." she said softly as they pulled apart, her hand raising and caressing the side of his face.

"I know that, babe..." His eyes searched hers, "I hope you know how much I love you too... I know I don't always show it... that I'm not the most open of guys... but I really do love you." He said softly. He lifted his hand and pushed her hair back behind her ear.

"You may not say it often, Joey... but I always know. You tell me all the time..." she whispered, as she turned her head and kissed the inside of his wrist, his hand still cupping her face. "Do you have to go back to work this afternoon?" she asked him softly, her eyes staring into his.

"No, I got the accounts finished this morning... I've just got to be back there to help them get ready for the party we've got booked this evening." He smiled at her, leaning forward and kissing her softly. "Did you have something in mind?" he asked.

"Maybe..." she whispered, her face flushing slightly. She looped her arm around his neck and crushed her mouth against his, feeling him respond in kind. Joey lifted her in his arms, brushing his hands over her body, easing her clothing from first her body and then his, all the while kissing her passionately. Lauren sighed as he sank into her, caressing her expertly in a way that only he had ever been able to do to her satisfaction. She was already close to the edge and when he got to his feet and carried her over to the kitchen worktop and sat her on it, she clung to him tightly, not wanting the moment to end. His sole focus became pleasuring her, his hands brushing over her body, his length moving gently in and out of her, his lips on hers. Lauren literally felt like she was on fire and she moaned into his mouth as he pushed her body so she was leaning back on the worktop. His hands cupped her boobs, thumbs brushing over each peak. He pulled away from her and stared into her eyes, his eyes so dark she could almost lose herself in them. Joey slowed the movement of his hips, seeming to get deeper with each achingly slow stroke. Lauren found she couldn't hold back any more and she screamed out his name, her back arching off the worktop as she gasped for breath. He came moments after she did, his face buried in the nape of her neck. They lay there, both trying to catch their breath. "See, you show me all the time, Joey..." she whispered into his ear and heard him chuckle.

"Happy second day of Christmas, babe..." he murmured into her neck, his voice just audible.

*JL*JL*

Lauren stood near the window, watching as Joey walked across the square, heading back to R&R's. She really was a lucky girl. She had the hot guy who loved her and cared for her deeply. So, she didn't have a ring on her finger. It was really just a bit of paper. It didn't mean anything if Joey didn't want that. She had him and that was what was important.

She picked up the box from the table and carefully lifted the two crystal birds out of it. She carried them into the lounge and put them side by side on a shelf on the wall. They looked perfect together. She could see now that it was the male bird that was holding the heart... almost seeming to pass it to the female bird and Lauren knew what Joey was trying to tell her with the gift. He was telling her that she possessed his heart. She smiled slightly, her boyfriend was a big softie... even if he only showed it to her.

She picked up her mobile and sent him a text.

_Thank you again for my beautiful present. It is much more than I was expecting... Tomorrow we're back to a gift from me to you... it'll be ready for you when you get up for breakfast. I hope you don't have to work too late. Love you. L xx_

Less than a minute later she got a reply from him.

_I'm already looking forward to it. Love you, babe. J xx_

**AN: So there you go, Joey redeemed himself for his almost messing the whole plan up the previous day. And yes, those turtle doves really exist and are beautiful. Isn't Joey a sweetheart though? And they had hot sex in the kitchen... I sure hope they remembered to clean afterwards...**

**Crazy Chick 74 here, and this is my first chapter in this little story. Eastendersfan444 and I would be interested on your thoughts on the story so far.**

**Hope that you are enjoying the story. **

**R&R as always**

**Back tomorrow with… Three French Hens by Eastendersfan444. **


	5. Chapter 5

**Friday 16 December 2016**

Lauren woke early the next morning, checking to make sure that Joey was still asleep. She pulled on her robe and as she headed to the kitchen to make Joey breakfast, the crystal turtle doves that he had brought for her caught her eye. She smiled to herself, Joey was so romantic, so thoughtful. She felt a little guilty that the present from the first night wasn't something that he could keep, that the one she was going to give him today wasn't either.

As she cooked her mind wandered, she found herself back at the day that she realised she'd made a mistake in letting Joey go.

*JL*JL*

Lauren's relationship with Jake was passionate, exciting. But she couldn't help drawing comparisons to her relationship with Joey. She and Jake were sneaking around behind people's backs, much like she and Joey had when they first gave into their feelings for each other. What made it more exciting was that Jake was a married man, there was a lot at stake if they were found out. A lot of people could get hurt and so they continued to hide their relationship, thus making it more dangerous and thrilling. As the weeks passed, as she saw Jake with his wife, with his daughter, with his family, she remembered the fallout from her father's numerous affairs over the years and the shiny started to wear off their relationship.

She and Joey had got close again after his sister was arrested for the murder of Janine's husband, Michael and Lauren discovered that he was actually sleeping with Janine. That little snippet of information had sent her reeling and that in turn made her step up her relationship with Jake, whether he wanted to or not.

They would have secret clandestine meetings at his house when his wife was out, when Jake was supposed to be working. They had nearly been caught a few times and this made Jake more cautious, but not Lauren, Lauren became more reckless, more obsessed, more demanding. She thought that she was in love with him. Now, looking back, she knew that she wasn't. Her relationship with Jake was based on addiction not love. All she had done was swap one addiction for another.

She was addicted to the adrenaline of almost being caught; she was addicted to the secrecy, the sneaking around.

She remembered that feeling well from being with Joey, and it wasn't as though that feeling was better… it was just…. different and that's what Lauren needed right now… or so she thought.

Over the next few weeks, Lauren realised that being the other woman wasn't exactly what she had dreamt of and that there wouldn't be a happily ever after. Jake had made it clear to her on numerous occasions that he had no intention of leaving his wife and daughter and that they would come first, always.

As Christmas edged closer, she came to the conclusion that her relationship with Jake was over, she also found out that Joey's relationship with Janine hadn't been what she thought it was. It turned out that he had been using Janine to try to get her to admit that Alice wasn't responsible for murdering Michael. It had all started with a bottle of wine and a seduction, and Janine had been stupid enough to fall for it.

Janine had confessed and Alice was released from prison, Joey took her back to their mother's and then returned to the square. They had a painful and emotional goodbye and Joey had kissed her, she could still remember the feeling of his lips on hers, the way her heart pounded in her chest. She told him that she loved him and then she watched him walk away from her.

Lauren missed him. She missed him a lot. She missed him more than she thought she would.

As the days passed she found her thoughts were filled with him. She missed seeing him around the square, she missed his flirty comments, the grins and winks he used to give her; she missed their talks. Yes, they had kept in touch, although mainly by texting. They had shared a couple of long phone calls but she knew that they were as painful for Joey as they were for her so she suggested that they keep in touch just by texting, until speaking to each other got easier. Joey had agreed. She missed him so badly it almost hurt.

Two weeks later, Joey was sitting in the lounge at his mum's house looking through the job ads in the paper, he had circled a few that he thought he stood a chance of getting. He heard a rap on the door and he took a sip of his coffee and he glanced at Alice in the chair who hadn't even made a move to go to the door

"Oh I'll go shall I?" he teased his sister as he got up

"You're closer" she replied with a grin

He shook his head with a smile as he walked to the door, he was pleased to see that gradually a little bit of his sister from old, before she went to prison, was beginning to come back since she had been home.

He opened the door and was surprised at who he found standing there. It was Lauren, she had a bag in her hand. He blinked at her surprised, wondering if he was having another daydream that she were here.

"Hi" she said softly taking a step closer to him

"Hi" he replied, equally as soft

"I… I missed you" she said simply with a nervous laugh "I thought… maybe I could stay for a few days…?" she asked him, Joey said nothing he just stared at her, taking her in, that she was actually here on his doorstep… that she had come after him. "You know if it's okay with you, Alice and your mum" she continued, she shifted nervously on her feet, Joey reached out and his fingers danced across her cheek and he tucked her hair behind her ear, one hand slid around her waist and he pulled her towards him for a kiss. As he deepened the kiss she dropped her bag on the floor and she wound her arms around his neck as his tongue pushed into her mouth, he gave a soft moan and he picked her up off of her feet, holding her tightly against him. They broke the kiss for air and Lauren smiled at him "so is that a yes?" she asked him her eyes sparkling with happiness. He nodded his head as he set her down on her feet.

"It's a hell yes" he told her as he bent down to pick up her bags. She took his hand linking her fingers through his and he led her inside the house.

Lauren smiled as she remembered what happened after she was inside the house.

*JL*JL*

Glancing down she saw that the food she was making for Joey was ready. She carried the tray into the bedroom and placed it carefully down on the floor, she slipped off her robe and she climbed into the bed and she straddled the sleeping man beneath her, she bent her head and she kissed his lips, his cheeks, his eyelids and his nose, before kissing his lips again, Joey moaned softly and she sat back and watched as he opened his eyes and he blinked a few times, his gaze settling on Lauren.

"Morning beautiful" he greeted her, she smiled at him

"Morning handsome" she replied and she bent down and gave him a long deep kiss. "Are you ready for your second gift from me?" she whispered against his lips

"Absolutely" he nodded his head as his hands slid up her thighs to her waist, she kissed him again and then moved off of his lap and climbed out of bed, Joey frowned confused and a little disappointed.

"Sit up" she told him. He did as she asked and she picked up the tray and she placed it over his lap.

"You made me breakfast in bed?" he asked her

"Mmmhmm" she nodded, she reached over and pulled the cloche off the plate and she chewed on her bottom lip nervously

Joey looked at the plate of food, a slow smile spread across his face "Three slices of French toast"

"Made with hens eggs and by my own fair hands" Lauren informed him "Happy third day of Christmas baby" Lauren smiled at him.

*JL*JL*

After he had eaten he put the tray on the floor "Are you trying to get me fat?" he asked her "I mean with the delicious meal the other night, this fabulous breakfast in bed…" he trailed off

"No of course not" she said shaking her head with a giggled "but I do have a way to help you burn off the calories…."she told him as she straddled him again

"Oh you do?" Joey asked her placing his hands on her thighs and rubbing softly

"Yes" she nodded her head, glancing at the bedside table and saw that it was 7:00am, she pressed a kiss to his lips, "we have an hour to kill before you need to get up and start getting ready for work…"

*JL*JL*

At 8:30 am. Lauren had kissed him goodbye on the doorstep and told him to have a good day and she stood watching him walking across the square towards the club, he had left the house with a huge grin on his face. Joey paused and he turned round and saw her watching him. He blew her a kiss and she did the same, he caught it and put it in his shirt pocket close to his heart, causing Lauren to giggle at the gesture. Joey turned heading back towards the club, whistling as he did so, breakfast in bed had certainly put a spring in his step this morning. He was pleased that he agreed to do the 12 days of Christmas gifts with Lauren. He was having fun, they both were.

He couldn't wait to give her his gift tomorrow. He couldn't wait to see the look on her face.

**AN: So do you have any more ideas for the rest of the gifts? Are you enjoying reading a little bit about their back story? Please let me and Crazy Chick 74 know what you think about this story.**

**R&R as always – it's easy to leave a review only takes a couple of seconds and we lover to read them. **

**Thank you for all your reviews so far xx **

**Coming tomorrow…. Four Calling Birds by Crazy Chick 74**


	6. Chapter 6

**Saturday 17 December 2016 **

Joey was pretty sure he'd just made a complete fool of himself with the whole catching her kiss thing but it made her smile... and that was never a bad thing. He pulled out his mobile as he walked down Bridge Street, nodding to Peter as he walked past the fruit and veg stall. He dialled a familiar number, "Hi... did it arrive?" he asked to the other person once the call was answered. He paused, looking around the street as he continued to walk. "Great... I'll see you at the pub later then?" he asked. He ended the call less than a minute later. He glanced at the time and started to walk a little quicker, there was a delivery arriving in ten minutes or so and he needed to sort that out. He had a busy day ahead of him.

*JL*JL*

By lunch time Joey had got on top of everything, had made some more plans for gifts for Lauren and was working on the rotas for the New Year. He felt pretty pleased with himself. He looked up at the knock on the door and saw his uncle standing in the doorway. "Uncle Max... God is that the time already? Sorry I was meant to meet you in the Vic, wasn't I?"

"It's fine, Joey... I know you're busy. I brought this over for you." He said, holding up a parcel. "You care to tell me what's going on?"

Joey smiled, "Yeah, come in... I'll tell you all about it. There are a couple of things I'm going to need your help with actually." He told him.

*JL*JL*

Joey was closing up the bar later that night. He'd been home for a couple of hours in the afternoon, although Lauren had been out somewhere. He'd been there in time for the delivery of a Christmas tree he'd arranged. Lauren had no idea about it but he wanted this Christmas to be perfect for her... it was what she deserved. He'd left the tree to dry off a little and he planned on decorating it in a couple of days, as he had three days off before he was back and then it would get really busy again in the run up to Christmas.

He put the takings away in the safe and picked up the parcel Max had brought over. He knew she was busy for the next couple of days so they wouldn't be able to spend the day together but it gave him an opportunity to work on the rest of his allocated days of the twelve days of Christmas. And a couple of them were really going to need some planning. He hoped she liked this present... although he was pretty sure she would.

The square was deserted as he walked back to the flat. He took the box into the kitchen and hid it in the oven... there was no way Lauren would look for it there. Anyway he planned on giving it to her first thing in the morning anyway.

He found a note from Lauren on the side and he read it quickly.

Joey,

I can't believe you brought us a real Christmas tree... I think I love you a little bit more than I did already. It's going to look amazing in the flat but just so you know... you're responsible for cleaning up all the needles that fall on the floor!

Don't forget I'm leaving early tomorrow as I have a meeting with the publishers about my work in the morning. I wish I knew what the meeting was about... Do you want me to wake you before I go? When do I get my gift?

Hope work wasn't too stressful.

Love

Lauren xxx

He grabbed a pen and wrote a big YES beside her question, following it with an X, then turned towards the bedroom and quietly moved into there. He stripped and slipped into the bed, managing not to wake Lauren in the process. She stirred slightly as he lay down and he held his breath but she just moved across the bed and leant against him. Joey wrapped his arms around her and pressed his lips against her forehead, "Love you too, babe..." he whispered before closing his eyes and falling asleep.

*JL*JL*

Her kiss woke him the next morning but it felt like he'd only been asleep for about an hour. He was exhausted still. He glanced at the clock and realised it had only been four hours, which explained the way he felt somewhat. "Where's my present?" she giggled as he moaned softly.

"It's well hidden," he told her. "Why don't you go and get ready for your meeting and I'll go and sort out coffee...?" he suggested.

"We could stay in bed?" she said, her hand running down his chest and heading towards his hard cock... a daily occurrence in the life of Joey Branning... well, it was when he was sleeping with Lauren anyway.

"You're supposed to be going out, babe." He reminded her. He pulled himself away from her and got out of the bed, pulling on some boxers. He could feel Lauren's eyes watching him as he walked across the room to the door, "SHOWER..." he called back over his shoulder.

*JL*JL*

Joey stood in the kitchen, boiling the kettle and getting their mugs ready. His thoughts drifted back to when they just got back together. Lauren had returned to Walford after staying with him for a couple of weeks. After she'd gone they'd spoken daily... usually a lot of times. It wasn't unheard of for them to spend several hours a day on the phone to each other. She came back to his at the weekends and Joey would take her out on dates. It was like starting their relationship anew; from scratch and they actually got to do the things they'd missed out on the first time they were together.

He took her away for a long weekend, surprising her with a trip to go and see her mum and Oscar – who she'd been missing a great deal. Tanya had been a little suspicious of him when they first got there but she could see how much happier Lauren was and she soon thawed towards him. The four of them had gone to the beach one day and while Tanya and Oscar were playing in the sand, he and Lauren had walked along the beachfront. It felt nice to be able to be together as a couple and have no one look at them strangely because they were cousins. They'd stopped when Lauren had seen a guy drawing at an easel. Lauren had watched him draw in silence but after about ten minutes she'd stepped forward and started talking to him. Joey hadn't even tried to pretend to understand what they were talking about but he could see the passion on Lauren's face as she talked about one of her most favourite subjects. Intermittently she would squeeze his hand and Joey was quite happy to just watch her as she spoke.

Later that evening Lauren had told him how much she'd loved the guy's (Steven's) work and she told him she wished she had half his talent. Of course, in Joey's opinion, she was just as good as he was but he knew he would never be able to convince her of that. When they'd been on the train on the way back to London Lauren had broached the subject of him moving back to Walford... and them finding a place together. Despite how eager he'd been to leave Walford almost six months earlier, it took him even less time to decide to go back.

Joey heard her moving around the bedroom getting dressed and he smiled as he bent down and pulled the large parcel out of the oven. He took it out of the cardboard box he'd brought it home in and set it carefully on the side. He poured the coffees, making sure that he got the extra splash of milk she liked in it... just like he always did.

She walked into the room, all dressed up in a suit and smiled at him as he passed her the mug. "Thanks baby." She said, tilting her head up and kissing him on the jaw.

"Present time," he whispered.

"Joey... that present is huge..." she said, "You keep spoiling me," she said, tears welling in her eyes as she look at the wrapped gift.

"Open it..." he said, kissing her hair softly.

She tore away the paper to reveal a large cardboard box that was taped shut. Joey hoped she liked what he'd got her because it had taken a lot of effort on his part... as well as some assistance from both of her parents... to get this gift for her. She sliced open the tape and opened the box. She pulled out the first item and stared at it, her eyes wide. "Joey... is this one of Steven's?" she asked, staring at the charcoal picture in the frame she was holding.

"Yes... Keep looking in the box, babe."

She did as he said and pulled out three more framed drawings. Each picture was of an eagle, a striking image in black and white and he hoped she liked them. "They're beautiful, Joey..." she whispered.

"This was your original Christmas present..." Joey admitted, "I spoke to your mum a few weeks after we came back from hers and she spoke to Steven, passing on my details to him. I spoke to him and asked him to do the pictures... Your mum collected them and got them framed for me. Then she sent them up here to your dad's house and he brought them over to the club yesterday. I know they aren't calling birds but its close enough, right?"

"It's brilliant. Thank you, baby..." she said, putting the frames down, rising on her tiptoes and kissing him softly.

"I'll hang them in our room today, if you'd like?" he said.

"That would be great. Thank you..." She kissed him again then took a large mouthful of her coffee, "You know, you're really setting the bar high for me..."

"It's not a competition, babe..." he told her.

"I know but I want to do something special for you..."

"Everything you do for me is special, Lauren."

She grabbed a banana from the fruit bowl, putting on her jacket and picking up her handbag. "I'd better go... I'll see you later this afternoon?" she said.

"Call me when you're on your way home..."

"I will." She kissed him again. She turned towards the door.

"Lauren..." She turned back to look at him, "Happy fourth day of Christmas, babe." She smiled, lighting up the whole of her face and then she was gone.

Joey moved to the bedroom quickly. He had a lot to do today.

**AN: What a lovely boy that Joey Branning is... and Lauren's right he's spoiling her, isn't he?**

**Let me and Eastendersfan444 know what you think so far.**

**R&R as always, thank you for all your reviews so far, we enjoyed writing this story and we are glad that you are enjoying reading it. **

**Coming tomorrow…. Five Gold Rings by Eastendersfan444.. I wonder what Lauren has planned for that...**


	7. Chapter 7

**Sunday 18 December 2016**

Today Lauren was spending the day with Alice and Joey's mum, Sarah. She had planted most of the gifts for Joey to find today in various locations around the house late last night whilst Joey was sleeping. As he had the day off and had promised to put up the Christmas decorations, she thought he could have a little treasure hunt too.

She left him lying in bed and she made herself breakfast, before she showered and got ready to go out.

Lauren was looking forward to spending some time with Sarah and Alice, She had grown close to Sarah during her stay at her house when she had gone after Joey. Her few days had turned into two weeks and then they had spent practically every weekend there until they moved back to the square, plus she was excited to tell them the news that her publisher's had offered her a permanent position at the firm, she was on a pretty good salary too instead of just getting paid per book she illustrated. Apparently there was also a very long list of authors wanting to work with Lauren and have her illustrate their books, and so her bosses had decided that Lauren's talent was too much to lose to another firm. Lauren had been stunned and surprised at their announcement. But when she had told Joey he had simply shrugged and told her that he wasn't in the least bit surprised because she was talented and beautiful and that he had a feeling in his bones that this was going to happen, not that he was being blasé about her good news, he was very pleased for her and very proud of her, he had shown her how much several times that night.

She looked at her reflection in the mirror and she walked to Joey's bedside table and she dropped the first of the gifts onto the surface.

"Are you leaving me already?" he asked her sleepily, she turned and she crouched down beside him

"Yep" she nodded "I'm meeting Alice and your mum at Leicester Square in 90 minutes" she told him "is there anything that you want me to get for you while I'm out?" she asked him

"Nope" he shook his head "I'm good thanks" he told her with a smile "Have fun shopping" he said "what time will you be back?"

"I don't know, not, until later tonight" she told him "why? Will you miss me?" she asked him with a smile

"You know I will" he told her as she leaned forward and gave him a kiss

"Just think how much quicker you can have the decorations up without me being here…what was it you said last year? That I was getting in the way and being too bossy and telling you that things weren't straight" she told him "Oh yes and then apparently I was too distracting" she reminded him "well it looks like you get your wish this year. You get to do it all on your own" she glanced at the bedside clock "I have to go or I am going to be late, see you tonight" she kissed him again and then got up and headed for the door.

"Hey what about my gifts?"

"You have to find them. I've hidden them all around the house" she called over her shoulder.

"What am I looking for?" he called out "Are they wrapped or unwrapped?"

She hesitated a moment before she replied "Both! Good luck" she closed the door grinning to herself.

Joey frowned wondering what she could have got him. Her cryptic clue didn't help either. He lay in bed thinking about putting the decorations up last year. It was true Lauren had been bossy and was telling him every time he hung a bauble or some tinsel on the tree that it wasn't symmetrical.

Joey stretched in the bed as he remembered the silly row that they had when he had listed off all the things that Lauren had done to annoy him, which she had pretty much covered this morning, and he had grabbed her wrist and led her into their bedroom and gave her the remote control and shut her in the bedroom so he could finish decorating the tree in peace.

Just as he had finished and was about to move onto to decorating the rest of the room, the bedroom door had opened and Lauren stepped out wearing a Sexy Santa wrap around dress that was so short, it showed her legs off to perfection and when he his eyes reached her head he saw that she was wearing a Santa hat.

"The tree looks great" she told him as she glided over to him, "you have done an amazing job babe"

"You look….." he trailed off licking his lips as his mouth went dry and his brain forgot how to make words come out of his mouth

"This old thing?" she said as she did a slow twirl for him "It's my way of saying sorry, I thought maybe you'd like to unwrap one of your presents under the tree" she said with a smile "I was going to save it until Christmas Eve, but…. It seemed appropriate for me to wear it now" she told him.

Joey remembered how incredibly sexy she had looked in that moment, he had been standing there gaping at her like a fish as all the blood in his body rushed to a certain part of his anatomy. He reached forward and he ripped the Velcro fastenings open and he slid the dress over her shoulders and the red and white dress pooled at her feet. She stood before him completely naked except for the Santa hat.

Losing himself in the memories, his usual morning problem twitched, he slid his hand under the sheets and over his stomach before he grasped his growing arousal firmly and he began to stroke himself as his mind relived that moment.

Lauren stepped closer to him, pressing her naked body against him as she reached up to kiss him, her tongue tasted his lips teasingly before sliding into his mouth, her hands slid to his jeans and she was surprised to find him already hard, she stroked him firmly through the material and he moaned into her mouth, she unzipped his jeans and knelt on the floor, pulling his jeans and boxers down his legs just as Joey's brain engaged, he pulled his jumper over his head and he tossed it towards the sofa, as Lauren took him into her mouth, he gasped and moaned loudly,

"Babe stop!" he tried to move away from her but found it difficult with his jeans around his ankles and the fact that she was holding on to the back of his thighs with her hands. "Babe…..oh god" his hand moved to the back of head, knocking the hat off her head. She sucked him, licked him, swirled her tongue around him, and brought him to a fast intense climax. When he had recovered a little he looked back down at her she was sitting back on her legs, licking her lips, the Santa hat back on her head.

She smiled up at him and he dropped to his knees, forgetting for a moment that his jeans and boxer shorts were still tangled around his ankles. He could already feel his cock hardening again and he reached for her, pulling her closer to him, he kissed her hungrily….moments later she was straddling him and he sank into her…

Joey cried out as he came over his stomach, hand and the sheets…..he grinned to himself and then frowned as he realised that he had made a mess on the sheets. Now he would have to add changing the bed and washing the sheets to his tasks for today. Climbing out of bed, stripping the sheets off the bed and using them to clean himself, he bundled everything up and pushed it into the laundry bag and he took a quick shower and then he took the sheets to the launderette. He put them into the machine and set it going.

"Grandma Dot, is it okay if I come back for these later?" he asked her "I have a lot to do at the flat before Lauren comes back from shopping, it's kind of a surprise"

"Yes of course it is Joey. I tell you what, I'll bring them over when I finish my shift at four" she told him with a smile.

"Thank you. You are a life saver" Joey grinned at her as he gave her a kiss on the cheek.

'Oh I say' Dot giggled and blushed as Joey rushed out of the door.

*JL*JL*

Back at the flat, he quickly put clean sheets on the bed and then went in search of the Christmas decorations. He knew that they put them away in the spare room when they had taken them down in January, but the spare room was now Lauren's office and he couldn't remember where they had moved them to when they converted the room. In hindsight, he probably should have found them yesterday, or even better asked Lauren where they were before she left this morning. He stood there for a few minutes looking at the forlorn naked Christmas tree, racking his brains, giving up he pulled his mobile out of his pocket and was about to text Lauren when his phone beeped alerting him that he had a text message.

"_The decorations are in the closet by the front door. L xxx" _he read, he smiled and text a reply back

"_Thank you. I was just wondering where we had put them. Although now I am slightly worried that you have had CCTV installed in the flat now! Have a good day spending all our money while I am slaving away decorating the tree. See you when you get back. J xxx" _

Joey carried the boxes to the centre of the lounge, he pushed the coffee table back against the sofa to give himself some more room, he started to organise the decorations, he glanced into the box to make sure that he had got everything out and he saw the Santa hat in the bottom of the box and he picked it up with a smile, underneath it he saw something gold, his fingers closed around it and when he looked at it he could see that it was a gold condom. He must have dropped it last year when he and Lauren had got a little frisky under the tree. He smiled and threw the condom onto the coffee table.

*JL*JL*

A couple of hours later he added the last bauble to the tree he took a step back and he grinned. It was perfect. Lauren was going to love it. Deciding that he would have his lunch now before he started the rest of the decorations, he went into the kitchen and put the kettle on to boil while he made himself a sandwich. He grabbed the bread and opened the fridge to get the butter and ham, he saw another condom sitting on top of the butter; he frowned as he picked it up, wondering how that had ended up in there, with a shrug he put it down on the work top and made his sandwich.

He sat at the kitchen table to eat, he pulled his mobile out of his pocket and he sent Lauren a text

'_Will you be home for dinner or do I need to have a frozen meal for one? Hope you are having fun. Say hello to mum and Alice for me. J xxxx'_

Moments later he received a text in response.

'_Looks like you are stuck with the frozen dinner for one, Sarah is taking Alice and me out to dinner. Alice and your mum say hello back. How are you getting on with the tree? L xxxx'_

He typed a response

'_It's coming along, can't wait for you to see it. Just finishing lunch and then will get back to decorating it. Text me when you are nearly home. Love you J xxxx'_

Lauren replied just as quickly as she did before.

'_I will, I don't think it will be too late, I know that I will love the tree and I love you. Any luck with the gifts yet?…If you are stuck just think of the song lyrics… L xxxx' _

Joey frowned, whilst he had been concentrating on the tree, the gifts that she had hidden around the house had slipped his mind. He put the phone on the kitchen table and the condom caught his eye. He picked it up and again wondered again how it had found its way into the fridge. After he cleaned up his dishes, he picked it up again and carried it into the lounge, dropping it onto the coffee table and something in the fruit bowl caught his eye. There sitting amongst the banana's was another gold condom.

"Of course. Five gold rings!" he said out loud, groaning at how stupid he had been. He retrieved the condom from the fruit bowl and lined it up with the two that he had already found. "Oh you clever girl Lauren" he said to himself, now that he thought about it he remembered seeing something else when he was cleaning his teeth in the bathroom this morning. Going into the room he found another packet and he picked it up and it joined the others on the coffee table. Four down, one to go. He grinned.

Joey worked almost non-stop on putting up the rest of the decorations, when he had fixed the last string of lights he moved to the plug socket, closing his eyes and holding his breath he flicked the switch. Not hearing the familiar clunk as the circuit tripped indicating that he had shorted the fuse in the electrics, he opened his eyes and a broad grin spread across his face. The room and tree looked perfect. He turned the lights off and he picked up the last set of lights and remaining tinsel and he took them into the bedroom. He put the lights up around the room and then spent ages winding the tinsel around the top of the bedframe. He smiled to himself hoping that she would like what he had done. He put the sticky tape in his bedside drawer and he spotted the fifth condom. He grinned and he picked it up, taking it back into the lounge, putting it with the others, he spotted the Santa hat and another idea came to him. He glanced at the clock, it was 3:00pm. He had an hour before Dot would be here with the sheets and he had something he needed to buy ready for Lauren's gift tomorrow. He grabbed his wallet and his keys and he headed out.

*JL*JL*

At 8:00pm, Lauren unlocked the door to the flat surprised to find that the lights were out. She assumed that Joey had gone to the Vic to get something to eat, and then she thought that maybe he had blown the fuse on the electrics again as he had done the first Christmas that they had spent in the flat, she smiled shaking her head. Suddenly she remembered that she was supposed to text him when she was almost home, she would just put the bags down, make a coffee, put her feet up for five minutes and then she would text him. Her hands were full with the shopping bags she had brought in with her and as she reached for the light she dropped her keys noisily to the floor. She bent down putting the bags down as she picked up the keys.

Suddenly lights filled the room and Lauren gasped surprised. She looked up and she saw the tree. The tree looked beautiful and Joey had hung fairy lights around the walls. It looked like a Santa's Grotto. Lauren loved it. She saw Joey was sitting on the sofa, her Santa hat from last year on his head. The corner of the coffee table was visible and she could see a glass of milk and a plate of cookies on the table next to a line of gold condoms. She counted four.

"Wow! Joey! This is perfect. The tree, the decorations look amazing, beautiful" she said softly her eyes filling with tears at what he had done for her, this was supposed to be her day to give him a gift, now her gift once again seemed silly.

"I'm glad that you like it babe" he replied without turning round to look at her

"I don't like it Joey … I love it" she told him "So you found your gifts then?" her eyes moved to the coffee table again

"Five gold rings" he said softly "Very clever, as was your cryptic clue, that there were wrapped and they weren't"

"Did you find them all?" she asked him with a smile as she walked around to the front of the sofa, her eyes widened as she saw that all Joey's wearing is the Santa hat and the fifth gold condom is resting on his knee.

"Oh!" she gasped seeing that his right hand is encasing his engorged cock as he strokes it slowly.

"Santa's coming early" Joey said with a cheeky grin

"Not without me I hope" she grinned back. She slipped out of her shoes and Joey watched as she slowly undressed in front of him, once she was naked she climbed onto the sofa and crawled onto his lap, snatching the condom off his knee.

Joey's hands moved to her waist and she smiled down at him "Thank you for decorating the tree and the room" she said softly "this was supposed to be my day of giving you a gift ….."

'I love your gift" he told her "because your gift means that we get to make love" he told her

Lauren moved forward and she kissed him softly, Joey let go of his cock and slipped his fingers between her legs, she mewled into his mouth at the first touch of his fingers,

"Baby you are so wet already" he murmured against her lips

"Only for you" she replied "Joey please…I need you inside me" she pleaded with him softly.

"You don't want foreplay?" he asked her as she pulled back to look at him and pushed herself up on her knees, she shook her head and she chewed on her bottom lips as Joey tore the condom from the wrapper and pulled it on, before he guided his cock towards her opening, she slowly impaled herself onto him and they both groaned softly.

Despite the fact that over the past 24 hours they had spent a great deal of the day in bed having sex, neither could get enough of the other, there would never be a time that Joey didn't want to have sex with Lauren and the same could be said about her.

Lauren moaned softly as she lowered herself onto Joey again and he raised his hips to meet hers. She leant back, putting her hands on his knees, he held her hips and he watched as she pleasured herself on him, he was beyond turned on right now, truth be told he had been turned on pretty much all day. Lauren breasts were bouncing up and down with their movements. Satisfied that if he let go of her hips that she wasn't going to fall he cupped her breasts in his hands, before moving forward and catching one peak between his lips, sucking and worrying the nipple with his tongue. She whimpered softly, Joey let her nipple go and watched as it stiffened as the cool air hit it. He pulled her other peak into his mouth and paid it the same attention. Lauren whimpered and moaned as she rode him.

"AH! Oh god Joey!" she cried out as his free hand slipped between her legs to brush over her clit firmly. "JOEY!" she cried out again as she unravelled around him, forcing his own climax from his body.

She leant forward and collapsed against him, every so often little ripples of the aftershock of her orgasm would flow through her and Joey felt them.

"Well this gives an entirely different interpretation of sitting on Santa's lap" Joey said moments later as he nuzzled her neck, she turned her head and she kissed his lips.

'So does that mean that I have been a good girl this year and that I will get everything on my Christmas list?' she asked him teasingly

Joey smiled at her as she raised herself off of him and he slipped out of her, He carefully removed the condom and he tied it and dropped it onto the coffee table, he lay her down on the sofa and he moved over her, stealing a quick kiss before he trailed his kisses over her naked body.

"Santa still needs a little more convincing that you are a good girl" he teased her as his tongue teased between her legs.

Much later, Joey picked Lauren up and he lowered her slightly so she could scoop up the unused condoms from the table and then he carried her towards the bedroom.

"Happy fifth day of Christmas Joey" she smiled at him

"Oh it's not over yet babe" he told her as he lay her down on the bed. "Santa's got another 3 condoms to use" he grinned at her.

Lauren giggled as he started to kiss her breasts

"Santa's a sex fiend!" she exclaimed happily.

**AN: Good thinking on Lauren's part for giving Joey a gift that they would be using later! **

**I bet you are all picturing a certain you know who in nothing but a Santa hat right now! **

**Crazy Chick 74 and I hope that you are enjoying this story … let us know what you think xx**

**Thank you all for your reviews so far… **

**R&R as always**

**Coming tomorrow ….. Six Geese a Laying by Crazy Chick 74**


	8. Chapter 8

**Monday 19 December 2016**

Joey opened his eyes, surprised once more that morning was already there. Surely after last night he should've still been asleep. Lauren really was like the energiser bunny on heat sometimes and last night was one of those times... Not that Joey really needed any encouragement from her to be honest. He would happily fuck her or make love to her every hour he was with her if it was left down to him. She was far too intoxicating for her own good.

He glanced down at the object of his thoughts and saw she was still fast asleep. He'd obviously worn her out the night before and deep inside his ego received a little bit of a stroke at that thought. She was draped over him but despite her closeness, his usual morning problem wasn't an issue today. Maybe he was a little bit worn out by last night's activities too.

His hand brushed up and down her back, his fingertips barely grazing her skin. She shifted slightly in her sleep, pressing her lips against his skin, directly above his heart. He knew he should be getting up and starting to sort out her next gift but neither of them was in a rush today. They had the day to spend together and he was enjoying lying with Lauren in his arms a great deal. This wasn't something they got to enjoy quite as often as either of them would like. They both led such busy lives and he didn't want to spoil the moment.

He dozed on and off for the next two hours, Lauren was asleep the whole time. Some of the time Joey would just watch her as he held her in his arms. She was perfect. And he loved her. She shifted in his arms and he felt the moment she woke, her lips brushing over his chest again. She moved lower, her mouth caressing him with gentle butterfly kisses. He held his breath as she slipped under the duvet, gradually moving down his body until she reached his cock. He'd thought he was exhausted but as soon as her tongue danced over the tip of his length he started to harden. Her hand stroked him slowly as her mouth took more and more of him in. He could see her head bobbing up and down beneath the duvet and there was a large part of him that wanted to fling back the cover and watch her do it but he let her carry on with what she was doing. She seemed perfectly happy as she was and who was Joey to argue with that.

Her hand twisted on him and Joey inhaled sharply. She always knew what every little reaction from him meant and today was no different, her mouth moved faster as he neared his peak. She did surprise him though as she removed her hand and took much more of him into her mouth than she usually would, his tip brushing against the back of her throat. He brushed his hand down his body and ran his fingers through the ends of her hair, feeling her moan around him as he tucked some strands behind her ear. Her moaning was the undoing of him and he began to pulse in her eagerly awaiting mouth. She licked him clean, his length starting to harden again as she did so, and then she kissed back up his body, her head popping out from under the duvet and lifting so she could look at his face.

"I thought it was my day to give you a gift, babe?" Joey whispered, winking at her.

"I decided you needed a reward for being such a good boy last night, baby." She giggled.

"So I'm definitely on the good boy list this year then?" he asked softly.

"Always, Joey." She said, staring into his eyes intensely. "Santa's very pleased with you..."

"Good." He said, smirking at her as he grabbed her and rolled them both so he was lying on top of her. "Don't you want to know if you've been a good girl, babe?" he whispered.

"I know I've been good, baby...you told me several times last night just how good I was…" she replied, her face pinking as she smirked at him.

"You're right..." he breathed, "So I guess you should get your reward too..." He pressed his lips against hers, his hands brushing the sides of her body. He repeated her earlier actions on him, kissing down her body slowly, pausing for longer than he intended on her gorgeous boobs; a part of her he adored. Her hand brushed into his hair as he kissed down her stomach and he heard her giggle as he blew a raspberry into her belly button. Finally he was at his goal and he kissed her clit tenderly, her hips shifting beneath him just from his gentle touch. He could sense that she was already pretty worked up and he wondered how long she would let him drag this out. He intended to be a while but he had an inkling he'd be cut off in his prime. He smiled against her clit as he felt her hand push him further south... silently telling him to get a move on.

He had thrown the covers out of the way as he descended and he stared up at her face as he licked her opening from bottom to top, seeing the way she bit her lip as she fought the increasing desire she was feeling. She moaned as he moved back to her clit briefly and she moaned loudly as he sucked on it hard. His fingers brushed across her opening, two fingers taking the opportunity to slip inside.

"Joey..." she whimpered, "Baby..."

"Patience, babe..." he breathed softly. He stared into her eyes as his hand stroked in and out of her hot body. He measured every reaction she gave him and he knew he didn't have long. Just a few seconds later he gave her what she wanted and pulled his fingers from her, replacing them with his tongue, teasing her further as he brushed it in and out of her body. He moved to her clit after a couple more minutes, looking up at her face again and seeing the desire emblazoned across it. He repeated his actions over and over, feeling the tension in her body start to increase and then she cried out his name as his mouth worked her over. As her high faded he climbed back up her body, kissing as much of her as he could until he reached her mouth where he kissed her passionately. "See how good you are, babe." He whispered.

"You're good too, Joey..." she said, her hand brushing the side of his face, "I love you so much..." she whispered.

"Do you want breakfast?" he asked her. "Or do you want some more...?" his words faded but he could see she understood what he was asking.

"More..." she whispered.

"I'm glad you said that babe because I have a present for you right here." He told her softly, pressing his hips against hers.

"I can tell..." she said, smirking at him. Seconds later he was pushing into her, his movements gentle but also with an intensity behind them that took her breath away. Her legs wound around his waist and the age old rhythm they'd had plenty of practice with began. After their earlier peaks, neither of them was in a hurry and it was much longer before Joey felt Lauren start to tighten around him.

"Come with me, babe..." he said to her, his voice husky as their actions affected him.

"I'm close..." she whimpered.

"I know..." he breathed. His hands cupped her breasts and his thumbs pressed on each peak. Her body ignited beneath him, clamping down on his length, her hands pulling down his head so she could kiss him deeply. He tore his mouth from hers and buried his face in her neck, his orgasm hitting him as hard as any punch to the gut would. Her nails clawed at his back as she came and he knew he'd have marks there later. He collapsed on top of her, feeling her arms wind around his neck and pull him close. Neither of them moved, neither of them wanted this moment to end but eventually Joey spoke, "Go and have a shower, babe and I'll go and make breakfast..." he whispered in her ear.

"I was hoping you'd join me..." she said, watching as his head turned so he could look at her face.

"I would but we both know what will happen if we do that... and I don't know about you but I need something to give me some energy before we do that again."

She rolled her eyes but released her hold on him, watching as he pulled away from her, his length slipping from her body. He climbed out of bed and walked towards the door, heading towards the kitchen.

*JL*JL*

Lauren walked into the kitchen, smiling as she saw Joey at the oven. He had an apron on that had the words 'Hot Stuff' written across the front of it. Many a true word said in jest, she thought to herself.

She joined him at the hob, laughing as she realised he was only wearing the apron. Her hands drifted over his body, simply unable to resist touching him. She rested her chin on his shoulder, trying to hide the smile on her face as she heard him moan quietly when her fingers grazed his skin, "What are you making?"

"Your gift..." he said, glancing at her with a smile.

"My gift?" She frowned, looking into the frying pan and wondering how an omelette had anything to do with today's present. Her eyes ran over the counter and she kissed his shoulder when she realised, "Goose eggs, Joey...?"

"It was the best I could come up with for six geese-a-laying..."

"It looks beautiful..."

"I hope you're hungry," he said.

"Someone helped me work up an appetite," she admitted.

"Well, make sure you eat everything I give you, babe..."

"I'm sure I will..." she giggled, her hand sweeping under the apron and brushing over his length.

"Breakfast first, babe..." he said, pulling away from her as he carried the pan over to the counter. He pulled two plates out from under the grill with some oven gloves and served the omelette up onto them both. "Sit down..." he told her softly and she did.

*JL*JL*

Lauren lifted a forkful of the omelette up to her mouth, moaning in bliss as the taste exploded in her mouth, "Oh my god, Joey... this tastes amazing." She told him softly.

"Glad you like it, babe..." he said, smiling as he took a bite himself. "Happy sixth day of Christmas, Lauren."

"Thanks Joey." She whispered.

*JL*JL*

The couple spent the day in bed, talking, sleeping and having plenty of sex. All the two of them could focus on was each other; it was a day they'd needed to have for several months; spending time together and reconnecting again. Not that there were really any problems with their relationship... in fact Joey was pretty sure they were great and they were the strongest they had ever been.

But the day reminded Joey of how it had been those first two weeks when Lauren came to his house... and how it had been after they'd moved into this flat together. Those first few months after he came back to Walford, they'd learnt to talk to each other, trust each other and be there for the other when they needed them. Joey had gone to a couple of her counselling sessions and she'd opened up to him about everything. It had been amazing to finally get to know the real Lauren... and she had done exactly the same with him. He revealed his biggest fears to her; the feelings he had for her. The ones he'd never shown her before because the thought of opening himself up to her like that scared him. The fact he'd been able to admit that to her was a huge step for Joey Branning.

At the end of the day Joey and Lauren were in the same position as they'd been when they started it, Lauren in Joey's arms. This time they were both awake, silently staring into each other's eyes. Neither of them needed to say anything but Lauren smiled at him softly as he pushed some hair back from her face and tucked it behind her ear.

**AN: So some hot sex, a 'hot stuff' apron, plenty of naked Joey and some good food. What more could Lauren ask for?**

**Let Eastendersfan444 and I know what you think. **

**R&R as always **

**Thank you for your reviews so far... Crazy Chick 74 and I enjoy reading them and are pleased that you are all enjoying 12 days **

**Coming tomorrow - Seven Swans a Swimming by EastendersFan444**


	9. Chapter 9

**Tuesday 20 December 2016**

Joey was the first to wake up again this morning. He gazed down at Lauren sleeping beside him. He knew that they both had busy days today. Lauren had to spend the day in her new office in the publishing house and he had a huge delivery of alcohol coming into the club and although he had staff there to take care of it, because it was a big order he wanted to make sure that they had everything that they needed. He had booked the 23rd and 24th December off this year and he wanted to make sure that there would be no work related interruptions. Lauren had a deadline of lunchtime on the 23rd to get her latest illustrations for the book completed and then she wasn't working anymore until the New Year, so he knew that she would have a busy morning on 23rd December and it would give him more time to make sure that his arrangements for her last few gifts were on track.

He knew that he had to wake Lauren up, he moved up behind her and he slipped his arms around her and he pulled her back against him as he kissed her neck gently. "Babe it's time to get up. Its 7:30am" he whispered softly against her neck.

She groaned in complaint and she let out a deep breath "No….I'm too tired!" she protested

"I'm sorry babe" he whispered as he kissed her neck softly "Go and take a shower and I will make you breakfast"

"I'm not really hungry this morning" she told him sleepily "can I just have a coffee?"

"Anything you want" he said as he got out of the bed. He pulled on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt and he walked through to the kitchen. He made them both some coffee and he took it back into the bedroom, smiling when he saw Lauren hadn't moved.

"Oi! Come on you! Up!" he swatted her bottom through the duvet

"I'll get up in a minute" she grumbled

"No now" he said to her "I will drag you out of bed Lauren. I've done it on more than one occasion if you remember?" he said with a teasing tone

She rolled onto her back opening her eyes with a frown "Go away Joey!" she told him pulling his pillow over her face.

"You have to get up honey, you have a busy day" he told her, he stood up and walked to the bottom of the bed and he reached under the duvet and he grabbed her ankles and he tugged on them gently, playfully.

"No! Joey don't" she complained 'I'm too tired. I'll just call in sick" she told him.

Joey frowned and he let her go, moving round to her side of the bed he crouched down beside her "Are you not feeling well?" he asked her in concern, he pried her fingers off of the pillow, placing it on the bed beside her and he looked down at her face, pressing his hand to her forehead "you don't feel hot" he frowned

"Urgh! Get off me! Fine! Okay! I'm up!" she slapped his hand away, scowling as she climbed out of bed and stomped naked to the bathroom. He heard the shower start up and then the door slam shut.

He got up shaking his head with a smile, he had woken up next to Lauren the drama queen this morning, and very possibly one of the seven dwarves. Grumpy. He walked into the kitchen to make her a coffee.

*JL*JL*

She walked out of the bedroom fully dressed and she picked up her coffee and took a sip.

"Thank you" she said softly

"You're welcome babe" he said to her "so are you feeling better now that you are up?" he asked her

"Yes" she nodded her head "Sorry I was a little grumpy"

"It's allowed" he smiled at her and he bent down and gave her a quick kiss. "I am going to have my shower now" he told her

Lauren groaned when he was out of the room. In all honesty she was so tired and she ached all over today. What with the amazing sex that she had shared with Joey as well as spending half a day getting ready for one of Joey's later gifts, combined with a half a day walking around the West End she was really tired. She had another half day of preparation to do today and then she was going to have to come back to the flat and get things ready for Joey's seven day gift.

This one had stumped her for a while… Seven Swans a Swimming. She had racked her brains, she had spent hours surfing the internet looking for ideas and inspiration but had come up with nothing, until yesterday that was. She had found a suitable gift and yes it was very silly and inexpensive but it was all she could find so it would have to do… it was either that or she was going to have admit defeat on this gift.

She finished her coffee and she looked at the time. She had come up with a little white lie today telling Joey that she was spending the day at the publishers, that they had a few things that they needed to go through with her concerning her contract, as well as an office for her to use. She was going into the publishers but that meeting was only going to take 2 hours.

Lauren looked at her watch and she drank down the rest of her coffee and she washed her cup up quickly and she put it on the side, she had to go but she wanted to say goodbye to Joey. She walked over to the door and she opened in and poked her head inside

"I'm off babe" she called over the sound of the water.

"What? Okay" he called back

"I'll see you later" she said "Love you"

"Love you too" he called out. She closed the bathroom door, grabbing her bag and keys off the side and she left the flat.

*JL*JL*

As Joey predicted the order at the club was messed up so he spent a considerable amount of time on the phone yelling at someone to get it sorted out today or he would cancel the contract in the New Year and go with a more reliable firm. An hour later his correct order was delivered. He looked at the clock, it was lunch time. He decided that he needed a little distraction and he decided to call Lauren and see how she was getting on at the office. He dialled her mobile number but it was diverted to voice mail, frowning he flicked through his phone until he found her publishing house number and he called that.

"Good Afternoon East End Publishing" a polite female answered

"Hi. Can I speak with Lauren Branning please?" he asked

"One moment sir" he heard a click as he was put on hold. He waited patiently, a few moments later the voice came back on the line. "I'm very sorry sir but there is no Lauren Branning listed on the phone directory, are you sure that she works here?"

"Yes" he said and he took a deep breath "Never mind I'll call her on her mobile" he told her and he hung up with a frown. He was certain that Lauren told him that she was going to be there all day, he wondered where she could be. He dialled her mobile again.

"H…hello…?" she answered the phone sounding a little breathless

"Hey babe" Joey replied "You sound out of breath" he said with a frown "are you okay?"

"Yeah I just had to run to the phone. I heard it ring before but I couldn't get to it in time, then I was walking away and it rang again…" she lied feeling guilty

"Oh sorry" he said and he actually sounded sorry for interrupting her

"No don't be" she said quickly feeling guiltier "I was hoping you'd call. I tried to call you about an hour ago"

"Oh you did?" he sounded a little happier "yeah I was stuck on the phone to the suppliers, they delivered the wrong order. Again. So I have been on the phone for over an hour trying to sort it out, which I have managed to do, and the right order has just turned up" he said to her "How's things at work?" he asked her curious to know what she would say

"Frantic. There's so much to go through" she told him "they have to order a new phone and a new number which they say that they will have by the time I go back in January"

"Oh well that explains it then, I just tried to call you at the publishers when you didn't answer your phone. The woman who answered the phone said that you weren't on their directory"

Lauren felt another twinge of guilt lying to him but she knew that it would be worth it to see the look on his face when he got his 9 days of Christmas gift. "Yeah it does" she replied

"What time will you be home tonight?" he asked her

Lauren looked at her watch "Around 8" she lied again "Listen why don't you go to the Vic and I will meet you there" she told him

"Why so late?" he asked her

And the lies just kept coming "I have to collect a present that I ordered for Oscar in the West End, so I have to cross over to the other side of London" she told him

"Oh. Okay well I will grab dinner in the Vic and then wait for you there" he told her "I may not be finished here until late anyway" he said to her honestly "I want to make sure that there is nothing that anyone needs to contact me about when I am off" he told her "I have lifted so many crates and moved so many boxes that my back is killing me already and I still have more to do" he said with a groan

"Sounds like you could use a massage at Beauty" she said to him

"Yeah, I could but that's not really a good idea is it?" he said clearly thinking about Sadie. She and Joey had a run in a few weeks after they had been back when she had made a comment about Lauren being a marriage wrecker, Joey wasn't going to stand for anyone talking to Lauren that way and he pointed out to Sadie that Lauren wasn't the bad guy in this, that Jake had been the person who had taken advantage of a young girl who happened to be a recovering alcoholic and had seduced her, and kept the fact that he was married with a kid a secret. He also pointed out that in order for to Lauren to be a marriage wrecker, the marriage would actually have to be over and since Jake was still Sadie's husband then that wasn't the case. Sadie and Jake had avoided Lauren and Joey since that day.

"No probably not" she said with a sigh "Sorry" she took a breath "Listen babe I've got to go"

"Yeah me too, I just wanted to hear your voice" he said quietly "I'll see you later tonight then?" he asked her and she smiled

"Yeah 8:00pmish in the Vic"

"Okay see you then" he said and he hung up. He frowned as the niggling doubt in the back of his mind questioned if she was actually in the publishing house. He shook his head. He trusted her. He loved her. He knew that she wouldn't lie to him and that if she had a problem she would talk to him about it. That side of their relationship had changed, they talked, really talked to each other, he was being silly, he thought it was because he was too tired. He pushed his doubts out of his mind and got back to work.

*JL*JL*

Lauren got back to the flat at 7:30pm. She was exhausted and every single part of her body hurt, all she wanted to do was to sink into a hot bath and then fall into bed and sleep for a month. But she had to meet Joey. She took a quick shower and she then changed her clothes.

She checked her bedside cabinet and she took out the items that she had hidden there and she got them ready and then she grabbed her purse and she headed to the Vic.

*JL*JL*

Lauren saw Joey standing at the bar talking to Alfie and Kat and she walked over to them, she bumped into a stool on her way over to him,

"Oh! I felt that!" Alfie said spotting her "Are you okay?"

"Yeah I'm fine, I didn't see it there" she said sheepishly as she rubbed her leg "I was looking at Joey rather than where I was going" she told him

Joey turned to look at her and he smiled at her "Babe you look tired" he said softly, his finger reaching out to brush her cheek and tuck her hair behind her ear

"I am" she admitted softly as she reached up and kissed him

"Do you want a drink or do you want to go home"

"I would love a nice cold glass of cranberry juice please" Lauren said

"Coming up darling" Kat smiled.

Drinks in hand they made their way to a table and sat down.

"So are you all done at work?" Lauren asked him

"Yep. The rota's are all finished, the books balance, the order is done, I may have ordered too much but I'd rather have too much booze than run out of anything. The guys have the decorations for the Christmas Eve party and they all know what they need to do and I have given them all strict instructions not to call me if there are any problems" he told her "that they need to sort it out amongst themselves"

"That's good. So you worked really hard today?"

"Yep, that doesn't mean that I still don't have plenty to do before Christmas Eve" he told her

"And how's your back feeling now"

"It's a little sore" he told her "but I'm sure after a good night's sleep, in the morning it will be a little bit better. How was your day?"

"There was a lot to take in" she told him "We've agreed that I can still mostly work from home though. I would only have to go into the office once a week for the meetings and to update them on how far I have got with my books, but those days I will stay in the office. And they will book meetings for me to have with the authors too to go through concepts for the illustrations" she told him "so I'll be pretty busy on those days"

"So it was a good day?" he asked her

"Yeah pretty good" she said with a smile

*JL*JL*

They got to the flat an hour later and Joey went into the bathroom and Lauren went into the bedroom, she placed the bowl on Joey's bedside table and she filled it with a jug of water that she got from the kitchen and she carefully placed the seven scented floating candles on top of the water and she lit them with the matches. She stripped off her clothes and pulled on a pair of shorts and a t-shirt and she laid down on top of the duvet to wait for Joey. She almost fell asleep whilst she was waiting for him. She heard the bathroom door open and Joey appeared in the bedroom doorway.

"What's this?" he asked her as he saw the bowl with the candles.

"It's your 7 days gift" she told him

"I don't get it" he said with a slight frown, Lauren's other gifts had been well thought out and this one didn't seem to be.

"Well" she said and she sat up on the bed "This one was harder to do than the others… It was either buying you a DVD of Swan Lake to watch which wouldn't have been much of a gift because you hate ballet, so the only thing that I could come up with was this" she told him, she crawled across the duvet to kneel on his side of the bed, he glanced down at her and saw that she had a large bruise on her thigh, she reached across to pick up the box of matches, he saw more bruises on her arms and he frowned. "So all I could think of was seven scented floating candles and the only thing that was swan related were these" she said and she held out the Swan Matches to him. He took the box from her and he smiled,

"Thank you" he said to her "It's very romantic" he bent down and gave her a soft kiss.

"I'm sorry I know that it's a really bad and lame gift" she told him apologetically

"I love it" he told her kindly even though he agreed with her "How did you get these bruises?" he asked her as she climbed under the duvet

"You know that I was born with the clumsy gene" she told him softly "I walked into the desk and doorways in the office today, it was like I had no spatial awareness"

Joey climbed into the bed, a slight frown marring his features, she moved into his arms and gave him a soft gentle kiss on the lips and then buried her face in his neck "Happy seventh day of Christmas babe" Lauren whispered sleepily.

"Thank you" he whispered back, moments later they had both drifted off to sleep.

**AN: Any ideas what Lauren is lying about? What is Joey thinking? How did she get those bruises? **

**Let me and Crazy Chick 74 know what you think**

**R&R as always**

**Thank you for your reviews so far **

**Coming tomorrow... Eight Maids A Milking by Crazy Chick 74 **


	10. Chapter 10

**Wednesday 21 December 2016**

Joey woke up and found Lauren wasn't beside him. This was unlike her. She was hardly a morning person; in fact he usually had to physically drag her out of bed, like he had threatened to do the previous day. He looked at the time and saw it was seven in the morning. He thought back to the night before and remembered seeing the bruises on her body. He was worried about her. Yes, she'd tried to brush it off as clumsiness but there were a lot of bruises. Had someone hurt her? He heard her moving around the bathroom and she walked back into the room, wiping her mouth. His eyes locked again on the marks on her arm. As she climbed back into the bed he couldn't help but see the huge bruise on her thigh. He was still a little bothered by the present from the night before too... it hadn't been the same as her other gifts... and then there were the lies he was convinced she'd told him about where she'd been the day before.

She wriggled back against him and he wrapped his arms around her. Joey feigned being asleep but in reality everything was ticking over in his brain. He was unsure how long he'd been lying there before he spoke, "Lauren... we're okay, right?"

"Of course we are..." she whispered, snuggling further into him.

The room fell silent again for several minutes, "Are you going to tell me about the bruises?" he whispered.

"I told you about them last night, Joey... you know me... I'm just clumsy..." She told him, her hand stroking his arm softly. "I just bumped myself against my desk... and I caught my arm on the doorframe too." Joey pulled away from her and sat up. He grabbed a T-shirt and his boxers and threw them on. "Where are you going?" she whispered, rolling over to look at him as he climbed out of the bed.

"It's time to get up..." he said softly. "I'm going for a run... you want to come...?" he asked, glancing back at her over his shoulder.

"I'll give it a miss today, baby... I think something I ate didn't agree with me... I don't feel that good today."

Joey stared at her, noticing the way she wouldn't look at him. He took a deep breath and headed towards the door, "I won't be long... I've got to get to the club."

"I've got some work to do this morning... I've got lots to do before I finish on Friday."

"Okay... I'll see you later..." he said, walking out of the room and heading towards the front door.

"Is something wrong, Joe?" she said softly and Joey glanced back at her, seeing her with the sheet from the bed wrapped around her as she leant against the doorframe.

"There's nothing wrong, babe..." he said but neither of them believed the words he'd said. He left the flat and started his run.

*JL*JL*

Lauren looked down at her arm and winced at the bruise on her it. She really needed to be more careful. She slumped against the doorframe, moaning as it hit the sore spot on her thigh. She winced again and then turned back to the bedroom. Today was going to be a bad day, she could already tell.

*JL*JL*

Joey was silent when he came back from his run, just moving into the bathroom to go for a shower. He didn't say anything to Lauren and she watched him go past, looking down at her drink and wishing there was something she could say to clear this up; something that didn't involve lying to him.

*JL*JL*

Joey walked out of their bedroom, now ready for work. He glanced around and realised Lauren must be in the spare room. He poked his head around the door and saw her head leaning on her hands at her desk. He walked into the kitchen and made her some toast. He knew she wouldn't have made herself any breakfast, not if she was feeling a bit ropey but he also knew she needed to eat something. He carried it into the spare room and placed it beside her.

She glanced at the plate and then at him. He had to admit she looked a bit rough, "I don't know if I can eat that, Joey..." she whispered.

Joey sighed, "Are you going to talk to me about it?" he asked her, a hint of defeat in his tone.

"About what?" she said hesitantly.

"You know what?"

"I really don't, Joey."

"The bruises... the feeling sick... If I didn't know better, I'd say you were hung over."

Lauren stared at him, her face even paler than it had been. "You think I'm hung over?" she whispered. "I told you about the bruises... and I've just got a bit of a delicate stomach..."

"The only time I've seen you be clumsy like this is when you've been drunk, babe..."

"I thought we trusted each other..." she said sadly.

"We do..."

"It doesn't sound like you trust me, Joey... it sounds like you're accusing me of drinking again..."

"I'm not... I just don't understand..."

Lauren stared at him, swallowing the guilt at lying to him, "Don't you have to get to work...?" she said, turning back to her own work.

"Don't you think we should talk about this?"

"What's there to talk about, Joey? You already seem to have decided all of the answers..." she said, picking up a pencil and starting to look at her notes for the drawings she had to do.

Joey stared at her, knowing in his heart that he had just fucked up, big time. "I'll be back at lunch time, babe..."

"Don't bother coming back here if you're just going to accuse me again, Joey." Lauren murmured as Joey turned and started to walk out of the room. Joey paused, taking in what she'd just said and feeling even worse. He walked out of the room, deciding that maybe some space would be the best thing for them both. He left the flat moments later, his head down as he tried to get his head round everything that had happened in the last twelve hours.

*JL*JL*

Lauren put her pencil down as she heard the front door shut behind him. She couldn't help the tears that fell down her face as she broke down and began to sob. Why couldn't things be simple?

*JL*JL*

By lunch time Lauren had had plenty of time to think about things and she had come to a couple of realisations. She walked down the stairs at R&R's and found Joey by the bar, opening some boxes of vodka. She had a distinct feeling of déjà vu and she hoped this time would go a little more to plan that it did last time she'd done this. "Joey..." she whispered and he turned to face her. She couldn't hold back the giggle when she saw the bottle of vodka in each of his hands... just like last time.

He glanced down at his hands and then put the bottles down on the bar, "Sorry..."

"It's me who should be sorry, Joey. I thought everything through from this morning and I realised that I can understand why you came to the conclusions you did..." she whispered.

"You look better now than you did this morning..."

"I feel better than I did. I ate the toast you made me and it settled my stomach. I went back to bed for an hour too... and that helped a lot." She told him softly. She held up her hand, "I brought us lunch..." she told him, "It's the least I could do..." she whispered.

"Thanks babe..." he said and Lauren stepped forward, passing him the paper bag with their lunches inside. Joey wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him, kissing the top of her head softly. "I'm sorry, Lauren..." he told her, "I should've..."

"Joey, stop..." she said, pulling away from him slightly and looking up at his face, "I understand why you said something to me... I'm glad you did... I've thought about it and it was the right thing for you to do. You should confront me if you think I've slipped." She lowered her head and took a deep breath, "I can promise you I'm not drinking again, Joey... I swear..."

"I believe you, Lauren... I wasn't sure I ever really thought you were. I was with you last night and I know you didn't drink then. It just felt like you were….." his words faded and he felt bad for what he wanted to say. He didn't want to cause another argument.

"Lying..." she whispered, completing his sentence, "You thought I was lying... to you..." she added. She could see his answer in his eyes but he didn't move. "I was..." she murmured, seeing the devastation on his face when she said those words, "but I've just been arranging something for your gift tomorrow. That's where I got the bruises from. I'm sorry for worrying you."

"I'm sorry for doubting you..." he said softly, his hand lifting and pushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"I know, Joey..." she kissed his hand tenderly, "Let's eat our lunch, okay?"

"Sure." He led her over to one of the couches at the far side of the room and they sat side by side and Lauren opened the lunch, pulling out the filled rolls she'd brought them both. Joey smiled as he saw it was his favourite filling and he kissed her temple softly, "Thanks babe..." he breathed against her skin.

They ate in silence but there was none of the tension from earlier. Joey could see that Lauren looked much better than she had a couple of hours earlier and he was relieved. She definitely seemed to be chirpier than she had been and that made Joey feel better. She cleared away once they'd both eaten and Joey watched her. He saw a glimpse of her bruised arm poking out from beneath the top she was wearing and when she turned back she saw him looking at it. "It's fine, Joey..." she whispered. "It's just a bruise... it'll fade"

"I just don't like to think of you getting hurt..." he murmured, his hand lifting and stroking the mark on her skin tenderly. He looked up at her face, seeing her watching him intently, "I have to admit I'm intrigued what you've got planned for tomorrow..."

"Talking of plans..." she smirked changing the subject, "When am I getting my present for today?" she asked him.

Joey swooped his head down and kissed her softly, "In a couple of hours... when I get home from here."

"So you've got something planned then?" she asked.

"Of course I have, babe." He said. He pulled her towards him and lifted her so she was sitting on his lap, "Maybe we should just pretend the last few hours didn't happen," he murmured as he kissed her jaw.

Lauren moaned, "No Joey..." she said, pushing him away from her and his face looked like he'd just watched a puppy get kicked, "We can't... and shouldn't... pretend it didn't happen. I have a problem, Joey. We can't hide from it... it's not going away." She said, her hand brushing the side of his face, "Yes, I don't drink anymore... but that doesn't mean I'm not an alcoholic anymore. I'm always going to be one... and it would only take one drink for me to be right back at square one. I can't say that every day isn't a struggle... sometimes you're the only thing that gets me through the day, Joey." She whispered sadly, "But what I can tell you is that I will always come to you if it gets too much for me... and if you're not around, I'll go and see my counsellor. I know it's only just over three years but it is easier with you by my side." She said, smiling at him slightly. "I love you, Joseph Branning..." she whispered. "I hope you know that..."

"I do..." he said. He pulled her to him and kissed her deeply, his hands cupping both sides of her face. "I love you too..." he breathed against her mouth as they pulled apart.

*JL*JL*

Joey headed back towards the flat, feeling like everyone was staring at him as he walked past them. He let himself into the flat, "Babe...?" he called out.

"I'm in the bathroom..." she called back and he headed in that direction after taking off his jacket and hanging it up. He placed the things he'd brought home with him on the side in the kitchen.

He pushed open the ajar door and looked around it, "Hey..." he said, smiling as he saw her sitting, immersed in hot water and bubbles.

"Fancy joining me?" she whispered.

"Sure..." he said. He walked into the room and over to the side of the bath. He knelt beside it and gazed at her face. "I really love you, Lauren." he said softly.

"We had this discussion at lunchtime, baby..."

"I just want to make sure you believe me." He told her. "I'm so sorry for what I said this morning, Lauren..." he added and Lauren sat up so she was eye to eye with him. She could see the emotions on his face... in his eyes.

"It's done, Joey..." she told him softly. "Don't fester on it..." she said, "We had a fight, we made up... it's done." She repeated. "Now, did you say something about joining me?" she said, smirking at him.

"I will. But first, you need to shut your eyes..." he told her softly.

"It ain't something I haven't seen before, Joey..." she giggled as she obediently shut her eyes.

"Good girl," he whispered, kissing her gently before getting to his feet. He moved around the room and then he was back beside the bath. "Shift forward a little, babe..." he said, his hand caressing the top of her back as she hugged her knees against her chest. She moved a little and Joey climbed into the bath behind her. He pulled her back towards him and she leant against him, turning her head and kissing his chest. "You can open your eyes now..." he whispered.

She did and looked up at his face, "Such a pretty sight..." she breathed. He smiled at her. She looked around the room and found several lit candles scattered around the bath. "This is what I should've done last night..." she whispered sadly. "I just couldn't think of anything for it."

"I know, you said last night," he said softly. "It's fine, babe."

"Where's my present, Joey?" she asked after a couple of minute's silence.

"You'll get it when we get out of here..." he promised her.

"Well, in that case..." she said, moving out of his arms.

"Hey...!" he protested, pulling her back towards him, "there's no rush..." he said, his hands brushing over her body. She relaxed against him and they sat together, in complete contentment for several minutes. They didn't move out of the bath until the water had started to cool and Joey got out first and retrieved towels for them both, helping Lauren out of the bath and wrapping the towel around her. She shrieked as he lifted her in his arms and carried her through to their bedroom. In the space of ten minutes both of them had changed into comfortable clothes, although Lauren was wearing some of Joey's which swamped her. They walked into the lounge and Joey disappeared through to the kitchen while Lauren sat on the couch. Joey reappeared and Lauren looked up at him as he walked in. He was holding a huge bunch of flowers in front of his face and he peeked out from behind them. "Sorry..." he said softly. "again..."

"They're lovely, Joey... you really didn't need to..." She said as he passed them to her. She looked at the bunch and saw several red and white roses, surrounded by gypsophila and daisies. "I love them..." she whispered.

Joey walked around to the front of the sofa and sat beside her, his arm winding around her waist as he caressed her neck with his lips. "Do you want your present now?" he murmured.

"Of course, I do..." she said quickly.

He handed her a bag from the Minute Mart and Lauren looked at him, frowning slightly. "Open it..." he whispered.

She did as he said and peered inside, "Chocolate!" she said.

"Dairy milk chocolate to be precise..." he told her, "Eight bars of it..."

"Are you trying to make me fat?" she asked repeating his exact words to her from her second gift to him, he smiled shaking his head.

"Never... just trying to fit the eight maids a milking theme... it was a tough one."

"Well, I guess I don't have to eat them all now... and it's always good to have some chocolate handy." She admitted.

"I thought we could watch movies for the rest of the afternoon... and maybe eat some of that chocolate..." he told her.

"That sounds really nice... What shall we watch?"

"You choose..." he told her. Lauren got to her feet and walked over to the DVDs they had. She smiled when she saw the one she wanted to watch and she pulled it out. She held it up in front of her as she turned to face the love of her life. "This will help towards today, don't you think?" she said with a smirk.

Joey looked at the DVD and Lauren didn't miss the slight blanch of his expression as he saw the chick flick she was suggesting but he manfully nodded his head and she put the disc for Bridesmaids into the machine. She walked back to the couch and sat next to Joey, leaning against him as the opening credits started.

*JL*JL*

Joey looked down at Lauren as their third movie ended, all of them had had a wedding theme to them and Joey loved her just a little bit more for attacking her 'problem' with a proverbial sledgehammer. She was asleep now and had been for a majority of the last film they'd watched, which Joey had still endured. He moved her slightly and slipped himself out from beneath her. He turned off the TV and put the DVDs away. Then he returned to Lauren and lifted her gently into his arms. She murmured his name and a 'love you' but stayed asleep. He carried her to their room and laid her carefully on the mattress, slowly removing her clothes from her sleeping body. Just a minute or two later he was lying beside her and she was back in his arms, "I love you too, babe. Happy eighth day of Christmas..." he said softly. He closed his eyes, glad that they'd managed to repair everything after their row this morning. He hoped he didn't stuff everything up again.

**AN: Were any of you worried by the argument? I was when I wrote it... So I wonder what Lauren has planned for tomorrow? And is she the only one who's hiding things?**

**Let Eastendersfan444 and I know what you think... R&R as always **

**Thanks to all who have reviewed so far, we enjoy reading your comments on 12 days.**

**Coming tomorrow... Nine Ladies Dancing by Eastenders Fan 444**


	11. Chapter 11

**Thursday 22 December 2016**

Lauren had been a bundle of nerves all day, she had finished the book that was due that morning, it didn't take her as long as she thought it was going to. Joey was spending his last day at work before he had a few days off and he was double checking that everything was done.

Lauren had one more thing to do and then tonight's gift was good to go, she just had to make sure that she didn't screw it up this time.

When Joey got home from work Lauren gave him a quick kiss before ushering him into the shower. Telling him to hurry up and that she had laid some clothes out for him to wear. When he came out he was slightly confused to see a suit lying on the bed ready for him to put on.

"Babe? Why I am wearing a Tux?" he asked her with a frown

"Because we are going out to dinner" Lauren called back to him from behind the wardrobe door.

"Can't I just wear a regular suit?" he asked her as he ran his fingers over the shirt, finding it to be quite stiff and rough

"Joey will you stop moaning and just put the damn suit on!" she snapped at him from behind the door. He glanced over towards the wardrobe, surprised at her tone. "We have a cab coming in 15 minutes, the reservation is at 7:00pm" she told him. She wriggled into her dress and looked at her reflection in the mirror. She bent down and put on her matching shoes and then grabbed her eyeliner from the shelf and applied a little more. She took a deep breath as she looked at her reflection, she looked hot and she knew it.

"Where are we going?" he asked her, she closed the wardrobe door and she took a breath

"Dinner and a show" she told him with a small smile, he heard the door close just as he shrugged on his shirt and he turned to round to look at her.

She was wearing a tight fitting red floor length dress with a split up to her thigh, she had red 4 inch heels on her feet, her hair was loosely curled around her shoulders, she had smoky eyes and light coloured lip gloss, his eyes drifted lower; she had a discreet amount of cleavage on display. He swallowed the lump that had formed in his throat.

"Wow… you look stunning Lauren" he told her, she smiled at him

"Thank you" she replied "You look pretty hot yourself" she said as he pulled on the jacket. They heard a car horn outside and she grabbed her black clutch bag and her jacket, "Are you ready?" she asked him

"Yes" he nodded "I have to admit that I am very intrigued about this gift" he said to her as he followed her from the flat, he locked the door and raced to open the taxi door for her.

The taxi driver seemed to know where they were going, Joey watched as they drove out of the East End and through the West End, Joey had no clue where they were heading.

*JL*JL

Much to Joey's amazement Lauren had booked a table at the very new and exclusive restaurant called Nine that had opened a month beforehand. Joey had been planning to take Lauren there before Christmas but the waiting list didn't have an opening until July 14th.

Seeing the name of the restaurant he smiled, knowing that this was her 9 days of Christmas gift to him.

Dinner was incredible, the food was to die for. Joey had never eaten anything better in his entire life and he could see by the look on Lauren's face that she hadn't either.

"Not that I am complaining, but how on earth did you manage to get a table for tonight?" he asked her as they were waiting for his dessert

"Ian" she told him

"Ian?" he repeated with a frown

"Yeah he said that he could get me a reservation but that I would have to sleep with him first" she deadpanned.

Joey blinked at her "I'm sorry I think I may have misheard you' he said to her 'Did you just say you slept with Ian Beale?"

"It was the most incredible 3 minutes of my life" she teased him with a grin "Ian feels bad about what Lucy did… still, and he said he could pull some strings and here we are" she said to him with a smile.

Joey's dessert came and Lauren had a couple of mouthfuls but left Joey to eat the rest. Lauren even refused to let Joey pay the bill.

As they walked out to the taxi Joey wrapped her in his arms seeing her shiver slightly

They climbed into the taxi when it arrived and Joey leant over and kissed her cheek "Just so you know, we are so totally going to be have sex tonight" he whispered in her ear.

"Well you are going to have to hold that thought babe. We're moving on to the second part of your gift"

"What? We're not going home?" he asked her

"Not yet" she said shaking her head and she reached into her purse, she pulled out a white envelope and she handed it to him.

"What's this?" he asked her with a frown

"Open it and see" she told him.

Joey opened it and he found tickets inside. He pulled them out and he looked at it "An evening of Burlesque?" he read and he looked at Lauren "Seriously?" he asked her

"Yes" she told him nodding her head

Joey looked around at the theatre, he frowned and he looked at his watch "What time did you say that this was going to start?" he asked her

"9:30pm" she replied

"It's nearly that now, there's not very many people here. Are you sure that we are in the right place?" he asked her, his eye scanning the empty seats.

"Yes, it's a dress rehearsal, the performance before the opening night. They don't sell tickets for these shows. The only people watching are the choreographer and the director and the understudies" she whispered to him "and we have got tickets because I know one of the girls in the show, we went to college together, they can give out tickets to anyone they want to for this show but usually they go for a quiet auditorium. People who are watching are dotted all over the theatre to make sure that they can hear and see everything. It's kind of like a dry run without the audience" she explained to him.

"Oh I see" he said in understanding. He still had no clue how this tied into the bruises that she had received "So how did you get the bruises?" he asked her as she got up, he frowned. "Where are you going?"

"To powder my nose" she said to him "I might not be back before the curtain goes up, it's a long walk to the ladies" she said to him "So, just enjoy the show" she told him "until I get back" she gave him a quick kiss.

Lauren turned to look at him from the doorway and then she ducked out

The curtains started to go up as the music blared, Joey glanced at the door and then moved his gaze to the stage.

About twenty minutes into the show, Joey's eyes widened in shock and surprise as he saw a very familiar face on the stage, his jaw dropped as he watched Lauren dancing with the eight other girls on the stage… Of course, he thought to himself. Nine Ladies Dancing. She had outdone herself this time, even redeemed herself for the totally lame seven days gift. He smiled at her proudly as he watched her sway and move on the stage.

*JL*JL*

Joey waited for Lauren in the lobby, she walked over to him and a huge smile spread across his face, he picked her up and he spun her round "you were amazing up there" he told her setting her on her feet "how did you find the time to learn how to do that?" he asked her

"I've been having lessons for a while" she told him "Do you remember the day that I told you I was at the publishing house?"

"Yeah" he nodded

"I was there for 2 hours and then I went to the theatre and I practiced the routine like thirty times" she told him "you have no idea how slippery the piano is or how many times I nearly fell off. That's how I got the bruises and the stage is actually a lot smaller than it looks, I banged into the scenery a lot" she told him "I had one more practice this morning and I sucked big time, to be honest I was thinking about calling the whole thing off and just settling for dinner at the restaurant and forgetting about this" she told him

"Well I am glad that you didn't" he told her softly "I am so proud of you babe" he told her, "I am going to remember tonight for a very, very long time" he told her

She smiled at him "It's not over yet babe" she told him and she slipped her hand in his and led him out of the hotel.

*JL*JL*

On the way home Joey thought about what Lauren had done for him, the time, the effort, the bruises that she had got trying to learn this dance, for him. He felt a wave of guilt after accusing her of drinking the day before. She looked incredible up there on the stage, she danced like she had been doing it all her life.

Lauren paid the taxi driver and she took Joey's hand and he led her to the door of the flat, he had the keys already in his hand and he unlocked the door and he pulled her inside, closing the door behind her he turned and he pressed her against the door and he kissed her, taking her by surprise at his sudden attack.

His lips moved to her neck and he pushed her coat off her shoulders, letting it drop to the floor at her feet. He turned her and then broke the kiss long enough to pick her up, one of her shoes fell off and clattered to the floor, he kissed her as he carried her through to the bedroom, he lay her down on the bed and he shrugged his jacket off and he climbed onto the bed with her, moving over her.

"Stop…" she whispered her hand pushed against his chest and he moved away with a frown, confused as to why she had stopped him, she climbed off the bed and he blinked at her

"What's wrong?" he asked her with a slight frown on his face.

"There's nothing wrong I just need to use the bathroom" she told him and she walked round the bed and then out of the room.

Joey blinked wondering what had just happened.

*JL*JL*

Twenty minutes later he was sitting on the bed, his jacket draped over the chair by her vanity, his feet bare, he had undone his tie and it was hanging loose around his neck, the top couple of buttons of his shirt undone. He was about to go and see if Lauren was okay when he heard the bathroom door open and Lauren's footsteps as she came back to the bedroom. He looked up as she walked in and his breath caught in his throat. Lauren was wearing a pink lacy baby doll nightie, he could almost see through it and could see the tiny pink thong that she was wearing underneath it.

He swallowed as she flicked off the lights and turned the Christmas lights on. The room was darker but the Christmas lights were still enough for him to see.

"You seemed to enjoy the Burlesque dancing tonight so….I thought that maybe you would like to have your own private encore?" she asked him softly as she walked over to him, he nodded his head unable to speak, she smiled at him. "Now you have to remember the rules here Joey" she told him "I can dance for you, I can do what I like to you, but you are not allowed to touch me unless I say you can" his eyes met hers and she almost melted under his gaze "Do you think that you can remember that Joey? No touching" he nodded his head again. "Well, I see that you are sitting comfortably, so shall we begin?" she asked, Joey replied with another nod of his head.

Lauren walked into the room so she was standing a few inches away from him, she pressed a button on the remote control for the CD player that he didn't even notice she was holding and she tossed the control onto the bed. She turned around so her back was facing him and as the slow sultry music he heard at the theatre tonight started to play she started to move, she raised her arms slowly over her head, he watched as her nightie rose giving him a glimpse of the soft flesh beneath, he watched her hips as she swayed to the music, Joey thought he was going to combust on the spot when she bent over, keeping her legs perfectly straight, uncovering her rear completely, her firm round bottom close enough to touch, he swallowed again as she turned to look at him and she put her forefinger in her mouth as she straightened up again. She moved and writhed to the music and then moved closer to him, she sat down on his lap and she licked his neck and then ran her hands over her breasts, his eyes followed the movement of her hands jealously, she let her body relax and she was draped across his knee, she knew that her nightie had ridden up and she also knew that her breasts were spilling out of the top, Joey didn't know where to look, his kept moving his gaze between the two areas, his fingers were itching to touch her, to grab her and rip the fabric away from her skin, his hard throbbing cock wanted nothing more than to be plunging inside her in a hard punishing rhythm.

She straightened up suddenly and stood up, she moved one leg over his lap so she was standing either side of him, she took hold of his tie and she pulled it off his neck, he felt it slide through the collar of his shirt, she twirled it around it the air a few times and then let it go, he didn't see where it landed, his attention were focused on her chest that was dancing in front of his face. Lauren pulled her bottom lip between her teeth and she slowly slid her hands up the front of Joey's shirt. She could feel his muscles hidden beneath it, she stepped away from him and she leant forward, flashing Joey her cleavage and she took his hands in hers and she urged him to his feet. He stood up and painstakingly slowly Lauren began to undo the buttons on his shirt, Joey only just managed to resist the urge to pull the material apart with his bare hands. Once his shirt was open she looked up at him briefly, "Remember no touching baby" she whispered "Not yet"

"Soon?" he asked huskily

"Soon" she nodded "Be patient Joey" she murmured softly,

Lauren watched her hands as she slid them over his stomach, over his very defined six pack, moving higher over his firm pectoral muscles, through the smattering of hair on his chest, to his shoulders, she pushed the shirt off his arms and then moved behind him, she took his shirt off, dropping it onto the floor by her feet and then slid her hands over his back, feeling the muscles beneath his skin, she moved forward and she pressed her lips to his shoulder blade, she placed one of her hands on his hip as she trailed a path of soft open mouthed kisses from one shoulder blade to the other, he closed his eyes and swallowed as he felt her hand slide over his behind and then squeeze.

She moved to stand in front of him again and she kissed his chest and then his neck, her tongue tasting his skin, he closed his eyes and concentrated on breathing, her fingers brushed his erection through his trousers and he bit back a moan, he raised his head as she kissed his throat, his Adam's apple and then moved to kiss the other side of his neck, her tongue flicked his earlobe and he groaned loudly, her lips brushed over his jaw, he could feel her breath on his lips and he wanted her to kiss him so badly, her lips brushed across his in a fleeting kiss before she kissed a trail over his chest, she dropped to her knees and she undid his pants and she slid them down his legs, he gazed down at her, his eyes almost black with desire, with his help she removed his trousers and she tossed them behind her, she stood up straight again and she turned around and started to dance again, she was close enough that every single time she moved her hips, her bottom would brush against his length. Joey's eyes flicked to the mirror and he realised that he could see her reflection and that she was watching his reactions. She smiled at him and she pulled up her nightie, he thought that she was going to take it off, but instead she hooked her fingers into her thong and she drew them off instead, letting her nightie fall back into place. Her thong was tossed way and she reached behind her and she took Joey's hands in hers and she pulled them around her to rest them on her hips, his fingers gripped her tightly, he pulled her back against him and he ground his groin against her bottom, she watched him in the mirror with a smile, she tilted her head to one side, bearing her neck to him, bending his head slightly, he nuzzled her neck with his lips, he bit down gently with blunt teeth and a breathless moan passed through her lips, he knew that she was just as turned on as he was. He prayed that it wouldn't be long until he was buried inside her.

Lauren turned around to face him and she pushed him backwards towards the bed, he felt the back of his legs hit it and he sat down and then pulled himself onto the bed properly, propping himself up on his elbows and forearms so he could still watch her.

Lauren wasn't sure how long she could keep this up for she was so aroused right now just by watching Joey's reactions to her and what she was doing, she took a breath and she moved towards the bed ran her hands up his thighs, she bent her head and she kissed his stomach, his six pack, his chest and his throat again, she was straddling him on the bed but the only part of her touching him were her lips and hands.

He lay down on the bed as Lauren's lips and hands caressed his body, he wanted to touch her so badly, he wanted to grab her hips and pull her against his arousal, as if she could read his mind, she sat down on him and he groaned loudly at the action. She moved her face so she was looking down at him, her tongue darted out and she licked the seam of his lips, before her mouth brushed over his in a gentle kiss.

"Do you want me Joey?" she whispered against his lips

"God yes. Always, so much" he replied his voice with lust, she raised her eyes to meet his, "Please babe?" he pleaded with her, "I need to touch you"

"I need you to touch me too" she admitted to him, his hands shot to her hips and he pulled her hard against him, she gasped against his lips and she kissed him hungrily, his tongue plunged into her mouth, mimicking what their lower halves of their bodies would be doing later, he rolled her so she was beneath him, pulling away momentarily to pull his boxers shorts down, he thrust inside her in one swift hard movement, causing them both to cry out at the sensation. Breaking the kiss he began a relentless rhythm knowing that they were both teetering on the brink. Each time Joey thrust back inside her with a grunt she gave a small cry, a few moments later Lauren screamed Joey's name loudly as her body shattered around his. She came so hard she could see spots of light behind her eyelids, he groaned as he pulsed and came inside her, causing her to cry out again, he thought that his climax was never going to stop, he thought he was going to die from too much pleasure.

They were both breathless and trembling from their climax, he withdrew his wilting member from her and he looked down at her, she smiled up at him and he fell in love with her even more than he already was.

Lauren was perfection. And she was his. In that moment there was nothing else in the world that he wanted. Right here he had everything that he had ever dreamt of, and more. He smiled down at her and he stripped her of her nightie and began to kiss and caress every inch of her naked flesh until she began to tremble beneath him again…

*JL*JL*

"Happy ninth day of Christmas Joey" she said softly as she gazed into the eyes of the man she loved

"Thank you" he said to her, tucking her hair behind her ear and stealing a kiss "I have to say I don't think that anything else you give me is going to surpass tonight" he told her "It was the perfect gift, thoughtful, erotic, intimate, sexy…"he trailed off

"I'm glad that you liked it" she replied with a shy smile

"I loved it" he replied as she snuggled up against him, "and the encore….spectacular"

"Thank you" she whispered against his neck.

"No thank you babe" he replied, he felt her lips against his throat and a certain part of his anatomy twitched. It was a good job that he had tomorrow off. He had a feeling they wouldn't be going to sleep until much later, he rolled her onto her back as the passion ignited between them again.

**AN: So know we know what Lauren has been up to and how she got those bruises… well I think it's suffice to say that Joey really like that gift from Lauren! **

**As Always R&R and let Crazychick74 and I know what you think of 12 Days….. **

**Back tomorrow with... Ten Lords A Leaping by Crazy Chick 74**


	12. Chapter 12

**Friday 23 December 2016**

Joey walked into the kitchen and found Lauren serving up breakfast for them both. Pancakes. "My favourite..." he breathed in her ear and kissed her softly.

"I know." She said.

"And it's not even my day to get a gift." He said as he sat at the table.

"I thought you deserved a treat." She told him.

He laughed, "I think I more than had my treat last night, babe..." he told her in amusement. Lauren placed his plate in front of him and sat at the table.

"So did you want to do something this afternoon?" Lauren asked.

"I was hoping we could... I've got your gift..."

"Ten lords a leaping?" she asked, frowning at him as she tried to work out what he'd got her. "What is it?"

"It wouldn't be a surprise if I told you, would it?" he teased her. "Can you meet me at the tube station at 1pm?" he asked her. "I've got to go to the club and do a couple of last minute things..." he said, hoping he was covering the lie he was telling her.

"Yes, that should be okay," she said softly, not quite able to meet his eyes.

He put down his cutlery and got to his feet, kissing her cheek softly, "Thanks for the amazing breakfast, babe. I've got to run." He left the flat quickly, unknowingly much to the relief of them both.

*JL*JL*

Joey stood outside the tube station, leaning against the wall as he waited for Lauren. She ran up to him a couple of minutes later and the two of them kissed, forgetting everything else apart from each other for many seconds. "Come on, babe..." he whispered, "We've got a schedule to keep to..." He took her hand in his and pulled her into the tube station.

They got on the next train that arrived and Lauren was scanning the tube map, trying to guess where they were going. She was getting no clues from Joey, who just smirked at her when she kept pestering for a hint. He squeezed her hand as they walked out to the street and Lauren stared in wonder at the sight before her. "Where are we going, Joey?" she asked him softly.

"There..." he said, pointing at the building opposite them.

"Really?" she asked.

"Well, technically we're going to the House of Lords and we're having afternoon tea... but we're going on a tour beforehand..." he said, "So you might see some lords leaping, you never know..." he added with a smirk.

*JL*JL*

The tour was interesting and Lauren found herself enjoying it more than she'd first thought she would... but the highlight of the afternoon, besides spending time with Joey, was the afternoon tea. Lauren didn't think she'd ever ate anywhere quite as fancy before and at first she was a little overwhelmed but she found that just looking at Joey and seeing him sitting in front of her, looking totally relaxed was enough to settle her. They talked a little about what they wanted to do the following year. Joey mentioned a holiday and the final destination they chose sounded totally amazing. Lauren was excited about it already.

Joey reached across the table and took her hand in his after they'd finished eating, "You never told me what it was you wanted for Christmas, babe..."

"It's a bit late to ask me now, isn't it?" she chuckled. "And you haven't told me either..."

"I already have everything I want because I've got you..." he told her and Lauren's face flushed red.

"Joey..." she whispered, her blush intensifying.

"I'm just telling the truth." He told her, his thumb brushing the back of her hand.

"I don't really want anything either," she told him softly, "I'd just like a drama-free Christmas, surrounded by friends and family..." she added, 'and an engagement ring,' she mentally tacked on the end.

Joey watched her face and he knew what she was thinking. He hoped he could give her at least some of what she wanted. "Do you want to go?" he asked her softly.

"Yeah..." she whispered.

He held her hand again as they walked out of the Houses of Parliament. They walked along the River Thames until they were standing outside Tate Britain. Lauren squeezed his hand as he led her to the entrance. "I know this is nothing to do with ten lords a leaping but I thought while we were close we should go and see it." He whispered in her ear as they waited in the queue to pay to get in.

She turned and kissed him tenderly. "I love you, Joseph Branning..."

"Happy tenth day of Christmas, babe." He said, "and I love you too..."

*JL*JL*

They spent a couple of hours wandering around the gallery, Joey watching Lauren's face as she stared at each work of art in wonder. He'd known she would like this part of the day and while he wasn't sure it was his kind of thing, seeing her face and knowing how much she was loving it and that she loved him for doing this was more than making up for any misgivings he'd had.

When they got on the tube again, to make their return trip to Walford, the tube was busier with people rushing home so they could start their Christmas break. Joey leant against the far end of the tube and Lauren stood between his legs, leaning against him, her arms around him. Both of them were excited about the next couple of days, albeit it for different reasons.

**AN: Well a chapter that didn't involve any sex... what is wrong with me...? I thought Joey and Lauren needed a break after the previous day...**

**Let me and Eastendersfan444 know what you thought.**

**As Always R&R**

**Back tomorrow with... Eleven Pipers Piping by Eastendersfan444**


	13. Chapter 13

**Saturday 24 December 2016**

Joey sighed and he rolled over in the bed and reached for Lauren, finding her side of the bed empty. He frowned and opened his eyes, surprised that once again she was up already, this was beginning to become a bit of a habit, he rolled onto his back and looked at the clock on his bedside table. It was 6:00am. Why was she up at this time he wondered to himself, he knew she had a book to finish but this was too early to be up and working. His usual morning problem was eager for some attention this morning, so he climbed out of bed and went in search of Lauren.

He heard the shower and he went into the bathroom, took off his boxers and opened the door to the shower and he stepped in behind her, he slid his hands around her waist and she shrieked and spun round, seeing Joey she slapped his arm "You scared me!" she told him off

"Who else would it be?" he asked her "Were you expecting someone else?" he asked her with a grin

"I thought you were asleep" she replied "I wasn't expecting you to be up yet, it's your day off remember? You can have a lie in"

"Yes I know but it seems that a certain part of my anatomy had other ideas" he said to her, Lauren frowned for a second and then she glanced down to see his very erect cock "It woke me up" he pouted "and I reached for you and you weren't there" he told her

"Joey. Can't you take care of it, I have a lot to do today, otherwise believe me I wouldn't be up this early" she told him turning her back to him and stepping back under the water. She reached for the shampoo and squeezed some into her hands and started to wash her hair, Joey slipped his hands around her waist

"I could but it's a lot more fun when you do it" he told her softly, his voice close to her ear "please baby" he kissed her neck and shoulder as his hands slid up over her stomach to cover her breasts

"AH! Joey!" she shrieked again and she lowered her hands and removed his, stepping backwards inadvertently. The water fell directly onto the top of her head causing the shampoo to run down her face and into her eyes. "Ouch! Shit! Joey!" she snapped crossly squeezing her eyes shut, she tilted her head back to let the water wash the shampoo away and she rubbed her eyes as the shampoo stung.

"What?" he frowned as she turned around

"You got shampoo in my eyes you moron! Get me a towel…..quickly!" he stepped out of the shower, pulling a towel off the rack, she moved out of the water and she grabbed it and held it over her eyes, rubbing them firmly.

"I'm sorry" he said softly, "try rinsing them under the water again" he suggested, Lauren threw the towel at him and she stepped back under the water, rinsing the shampoo out of her hair and off of her face, after a few minutes the stinging sensation had gone and Joey stepped back into the shower, "Let me see" he said to her, she tilted her head up to him and opened her eyes, he saw that they were red and bloodshot. "I'm sorry babe" he told her "I didn't mean for you to get hurt" he licked his lips, she sighed

"I know" she told him "and I am sorry that I called you a moron" she said and she reached up to kiss him softly, but Joey deepened the kiss moved to her to back of the shower pressing her up against the wall, the cold tiles hit her back and she broke the kiss with a shriek.

"Sorry" he said again, "maybe I should let you shower alone?" he asked her with a smile

"You know I think I'm done" she said to him "Showers all yours" she said as she ducked under his arm to get out, he didn't see her flick the dial on the tap as she moved passed him, she closed the door and wrapped a towel around herself and she walked to the bedroom, she giggled when she heard Joey scream like a girl as the cold water hit him.

She heard Joey leap out of the shower swearing and cursing and she giggled as she knew he was coming to find her. She stood behind the bed and she held her towel tightly around her. He appeared in the doorway naked and dripping wet.

"That…wasn't….funny" he told her half seriously

"It kind of was… you scream like a girl" she said and burst into a fit of giggles. "And look, I took care of your little problem. It has gone" she pointed to his groin

"That was the shock of the cold water" he told her with playful frown "You've killed him"

"I'll make it up to you I promise" she said with a smirk as she walked round to stand in front of him, she reached up and gave him a kiss, she felt him draw her closer to him and she wrapped her arms around him as he deepened the kiss "I just need to focus on finishing the book and then after lunch I will be all yours" she told him softly when the kiss had ended "so you need to make yourself scarce until 1:00pm" she told him

"You're kicking me out?" he asked her and she nodded her head

"You are too much of a distraction, so yes you have to go" she said. Joey took a deep breath and he let it out slowly.

"Okay I suppose I can go out and buy the vegetables that we need for dinner tomorrow" he said to her "Is there anything else we need?" he asked her

"Actually it's funny you should ask babe. There's a list on the kitchen table" she told him with a smile "thank you baby"

"So I can come back at 1:00pm?"he said to her and she nodded her head

"Not one minute before" she told him she stole another kiss and she walked to her wardrobe and opened the door, she tossed some clothes onto the bed and when she returned she had some underwear on and she tossed her towel at him.

"Okay fine I am going to finish my shower and then after… am I allowed to have breakfast?" he asked her

"Yes of course you are… you can grab something at the café" she told him as she dressed

"Okay" he said to her "today's gift better be something incredibly amazing" he told her he turned to walk to the bathroom and then stopped "Speaking of which… when do I get that?" he asked her trying to sound casual but failing miserably

"After lunch" she told him, He nodded his head muttering about how unfair that was as he walked back to the bathroom.

Lauren smiled to herself as she walked into her office.

*JL*JL*

Joey came back at 1:00pm and found Lauren waiting for him on the sofa. He paused in the doorway as he saw she was wearing the Santa Dress from last year and the same Santa hat he'd worn a couple of days earlier. He smiled at her. "Is this my surprise?" he asked her

"It's part of it" she told him with a smile "Go put the groceries away, then come and eat your lunch" Sitting on the coffee table was a freshly made cup of coffee waiting for him as well as a sandwich. He quickly put the groceries away, before he dropped his keys onto the side and he hung his coat up on the peg by the door.

"Did you get everything on the list?" she asked him as he walked over to her, pausing to give her a kiss as he sat down.

"Yep' he nodded "and a few things that weren't" he said to her. "You made me lunch?" he asked her

"Mmhmm, I told you that I would make this morning up to you" she told him with a smile, she saw the disappointed look in his eyes and knew that that wasn't the kind of making up he was hoping for.

He took the last bite of sandwich and finished his coffee, he put the cup down on the table "Thank you babe" he said with a smile

"You're welcome" she said "So now that we both have the afternoon free what do you want to do?" she asked him

"I believe there was a promise of my next gift" he said to her

"You want that now?" she asked him and he nodded his head eagerly as his eyes roamed over her body in that dress.

"Yes please"

"Okay" she said and she moved closer to him "well this gift is going to last one hour" she told him in a seductive whisper as she kissed him, she reached down between the cushions of the sofa and then pulled away from him and she produced a gift wrapped present and she put it on his knee. He blinked in surprise, this wasn't what he was expecting.

Joey unwrapped the present that Lauren had given to him, he was a little taken aback to see it was a DVD of 11 Traditional Christmas songs by a group called the Duncan McCall Pipe Band. He swallowed and glanced at Lauren.

"Thank you" he said a little uncertainly, she smiled at him and took the DVD from him, opened the case and crossed over to the DVD player and she put in inside.

She grabbed the remote from the side of the TV and she walked back to the sofa and he looked at her as she turned the TV on.

"Are you actually going to make me watch this?" he asked her in disbelief

"Yes" she told him "There is a little bit more to this gift than what initially meets the eye" she told him "and I promise you the idea that you have in your head of the noisy bagpipe music that you are expecting isn't going to be what you hear" she told him, the look on his face told her that he wasn't convinced. "Trust me okay" she told him, he sighed, nodding his head

"Okay" he said. He took a deep breath and he let it out slowly "Hit it" he said to her. Lauren pressed play.

When Lauren had said that his gift was going to last 60 minutes, this wasn't exactly what he had in mind. If he was honest, he expected her gift to have something do with a little day time bedroom activity, especially since she was wearing that Sexy Santa dress again, to say he was disappointed that she was forcing him to sit through a DVD of bagpipes playing Christmas music was a little bit of an understatement, he would rather she was driving pins under his finger nails or poking out his eyes with a stick, glancing at Lauren he could see that she was actually very excited and a little bit nervous too about this DVD so he reluctantly agreed to sit through it to please her. Of course he had hopes that at some point during the 60 minute ordeal that would be at least some heated making out, if not more.

Lauren chewed on her bottom lip as the first song came on, The Little Drummer Boy. Joey turned his attention back to the DVD and was surprised to admit that the music wasn't actually as bad as he thought he would be, in fact it was pretty good and he found himself enjoying it. As the music played he saw to his amazement that a series of pictures appeared on the screen.

Pictures of him as a baby, then one of Lauren. As the Christmas songs played pictures of the two of them throughout their childhood appeared.

"You have been conspiring with my mother" he told her with a smile as he put his arm around her and she snuggled into his side, she draped her legs over his knee, he smiled as he put his hand on her leg just above the knee.

"There may have been some conspiring" she told him "she gave me the pictures when I went shopping with her" she said to him "Alice helped too, she had the keys to the flat and she spent the better part of the night scanning in the pictures for me, while you were enjoying your 9 Ladies dancing gift. I made the finishing touches to the DVD today, in fact that was what I was doing this morning"

"You weren't finishing your book?" he asked her "the one that you had the deadline extended for?"

"Nope, I finished that a couple of days ago" she told him

"So your kicking me out of the house this morning…"

"Was so I could do add a few finishing touches to this without you seeing" she said to him "and without you being a distraction"

"You are a very sneaky woman!" he told her with a smile and she grinned back at him

Joey watched as the pictures continued to appear on the screen, laughing when one appeared of Lauren in her Emo phase, and then again when one of him appeared of him aged about 16 years old when he had decided to have a blue streak dyed in his hair.

"I can't believe that mum gave these to you… I had forgotten about some of them" he told her

"I like you with blue hair" she said to him "It's very sexy" she teased him

"So are you in your Emo phase" he teased her "Do you still have any of those old black clothes?" he asked her raising his eyebrows "Because I think they would get me so hot…." He teased her back and he lunged for her and kissed her neck causing her to squeal and giggle.

"Stop it" she told him playfully pushing him away, he laughed and he kissed her forehead before he turned his focus back to the television screen.

He watched as one by one a picture of himself would appear on the screen following by a picture of Lauren as they got older.

Then pictures of the two of them started to glide across the screen, ones that they had taken on their phones before they had gone public with their relationship, then there were ones where they had gone public, again mostly ones that they had taken on their phones. The next series of pictures that followed had been taken over the last three years.

He smiled as a picture of Lauren appeared in wearing the Santa hat and dress and he frowned "I don't remember taking this" he said to her

"You didn't" she replied

"So who did" he turned his head to look at her

"Keep watching" she told him, he sighed and he turned his head back to the screen, the pictures of Lauren in the dress, his eyes widened as a series of photographs appeared of Lauren stripping out of the Santa Suit

"Seriously Lauren who took these?" he asked her with a slight frown on his face, he felt jealous and a little bit angry that someone else besides him had seen her naked.

"Relax Joey, I took them with the camera and tripod that you brought me for my birthday last year" she told him with smile. The next picture was blurry but it was clear that she was naked except for the Santa hat and then the screen went black.

A few seconds later Lauren appeared on screen again, clearly naked behind a large piece of cardboard she was holding up in front of her "_**Happy 11**__**th**__** Day of Christmas Joey. All my love always Lauren" **_he laughed as the screen went blank again and a series of credits rolled across the screen, both her parents and his mum got a mention as did Alice and Joey and Lauren for appearing as themselves and Joey for being Lauren's inspiration.

"And a special guest star appearance by…" he read and one more picture appeared on the screen, it was a little fuzzy and it took Joey a little while to figure out what it was "Babe this one's out of order, shouldn't it be at the beginning?" he asked her turning to look at her with a confused look on his face.

"It hasn't finished yet… keep watching" she told him.

"Estimated time of arrival 15 July 2017" he read out loud, he frowned in confusion, Lauren watched his face and she smiled to herself as she watched the realisation of what she was telling him cross his face. He turned to look at her

"Are we…are we pregnant?" he asked her, his face lighting up like a Christmas tree, she nodded her head, her bottom lip tucked nervously between her teeth "when did you find out?" he asked her

"I had it confirmed at the doctors on 2nd December and I was going to tell you that night but we were doing these Christmas gifts and when I figured out what today would be… I knew that I had to wait to until today to tell you"

"Why what's today?" he asked her with a small frown

She smiled at him "Well it fits in perfectly with the theme of the gift. I'm 11 weeks today" she told him softly.

"11 Pipers piping and 11 weeks pregnant" he said and smiling at her "This is the most incredible gift that anyone has ever given me, it's even better that the 9th day gift, thank you baby" he whispered as he pulled her onto his lap, she smiled looping her arms around his neck

"Well I didn't do it by myself, I had a little help" she shrugged casually

"Hey I helped a lot!" he protested playfully, Lauren laughed

"Okay, okay, you helped a lot" she relented and she smiled at him "You are really pleased aren't you?" she asked him still a little anxious "I mean I know that we didn't exactly plan to have a baby yet….and we haven't talked about it and…..." he silenced her with a kiss

"I am over the moon Lauren" he told her "out of all the gifts that you have given me this one is by far the best, it tops them all" he said to her and he picked her up carefully and he stood up

"Where are we going?" she asked him

"Nowhere" he said as he lay her down on the sofa gently. He moved over her and he smiled at her.

He kissed her softly and then pulled away from her, standing up he turned off the TV and DVD player and then took off his shoes and socks and then he carefully moved over her on the sofa, she smiled up at him.

He raised his eyebrows at her with a smirk as he reached for the front of her dress and he slowly pulled the Velcro fastenings undone "I love that sound, you know I think I am going to fix all your clothes so that they do up with Velcro, be easier for me to take them off, instead of those fiddly buttons, zips and laces that most of your clothes seem to have" he said to her, he pulled the dress open to discover that unlike last year she wasn't naked beneath it, she was wearing a very skimpy and incredible sexy red and white Santa bra and pantie set, Joey gasped in surprise and then whistled "Baby you are so sexy" he told her, his fingers traced her cheek, before he slid his hand over her breast and lower to her the top of her panties, he paused and he bent his head and he pressed his lips very tenderly to her stomach. He smiled as he raised his head and he stroked her stomach softly before he raised his head to look at Lauren. She was smiling at him, tears in her eyes, "I'm going to be a dad" he said as if he had just realised that fact, Lauren nodded her head

"Yes you are. And you are going to be a great dad Joey" she told him softly, he moved so his face was level with hers, one knee between her legs, holding his weight off of her with his hands that were either side of her head

"Thank you babe" he whispered softly as his lips brushed against hers lightly "thank you" he murmured and he kissed her again, "we're going to be a family" he said quietly, she could see the emotions in his eyes, playing across his face. "I love you so much Lauren, you know that don't you?" he asked her she nodded her head again "I promise you that I am going to be the best father in the world"

"Well you're already the best boyfriend in the world so it shouldn't be that hard to be the best father" she told him and she wrapped her arms around his neck, playing with the hair on the back of his neck.

"I am so glad that you came after me Lauren, I shudder to think what my life would be like now without you in it" he told her "I am never ever going to lose you again" he brushed his nose against her. "When I came home at lunch time and saw you in this dress, before I saw what you had on underneath, all I wanted to do was to fuck you hard and fast" he told her "Now… after finding out that we're going to have a baby, I just want to make to love to you, slowly, tenderly, I want you to feel how much I am crazy in love with you" he told her softly. She shivered beneath him at his words and the thought of what he was going to do to her, with her, "I want to give you every single ounce of pleasure that I can and then I want to do it all over again" he said to her, he bent his head and kissed her neck softly, his tongue tasting the flesh beneath, she slid her foot over his leg and drew it slowly up his calf.

His lips moved long her throat, he kissed her earlobe, her cheek, her nose and then her lips, his tongue sweeping gently into her mouth to caress her tongue with his. He took his time with her, kissing her and caressing her until her body was practically vibrating with her need for him.

He ground his hips against her and they both groaned softly, he broke the kiss and he moved his lips to her collar bones before he kissed the swell of her breasts, he moved back lifting her with him, and he undid her bra and lay her back down carefully, he drew off her bra and he bent his head and he kissed her nipple softly, his other hand covered her breast as he licked and sucked on her peak, she moaned and arched her back, pressing herself against him, she reached between them and she undid his belt and button fly on his jeans and she slid her hand inside to rub him through his boxer shorts, he moaned loudly and his mouth left her breast and he reached up and kissed her hungrily. He broke the kiss and he closed his eyes as he felt his orgasm growing,

"Babe stop….. I want to be inside you" his voice trembled with his desire, his hands moved to her panties and he tugged on them gently and they came away in his hands, Joey frowned and he looked up at her apologetically

"'Velcro" Lauren giggled at the look on his face

"I'm fixing Velcro to all your underwear" he grinned at her, he pulled away from her leaving her naked on the sofa and he stripped himself of his clothes in record time and he moved over her again, settling between her thighs, he teased her running his cock along her length, he could feel how wet she was, he pushed forward and she felt him stretching her, he pushed forward slowly, inch by inch until he was seated deep inside her, they both gave a tiny breathless gasp. He kissed her for long leisurely minutes, taking pleasure from just being inside her, after a few more minutes of slow sensual kissing, he began to move, very slowly, drawing out the sensations, the pleasure for them both.

Lauren arched her back as he slowly thrust inside her, he was killing her with pleasure, and she was more than happy to let him. Sex with Joey was always amazing, but this, this was incredible. He was being so sensual so tender and every single solitary nerve ending tingled with anticipation. She drew her fingers over his back, sliding them down to his ass, she squeezed him gently before running her fingers up his back again, she wrapped her legs around his waist and shifted beneath him and he moved deeper inside her, she gasped with pleasure as Joey groaned. He built them both up slowly and she trembled beneath him as she teetered on the edge of her climax

"Oh god Joey… you feel so good" she murmured as she kissed his neck, gripping his back tightly as he moved within her, she kissed his jaw and he turned his head and their lips met.

Moments later she cried out his name as he pulsed inside in her and she exploded around him.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren had been lying on the sofa in their post coital bliss in an easy comfortable silence, every so often sharing a kiss, both of them lost in their thoughts about the baby. They hadn't been keeping up a conversation, but Joey had asked her about the five condoms that she had given him for her 5th day gift, when they clearly didn't need to be using them, she smiled at him and simply told him that she needed to make sure that she didn't do anything to give him a hint that she was pregnant, she also admitted that the only reason she had been getting up before him for the past few days was because she was having morning sickness.

Lauren smiled as she nuzzled Joey's neck with her nose "That's how many sofa's we've had sex on now?" she asked him

"Mmm? Well…five I think" he said to her, "our first time was on the sofa in your parent's house, then once on Dot's sofa…..then the sofa at number 23, quite a few times as I recall" he said to her "The sofa at mums again a few times and then this one" he said to her.

"You missed one" Lauren said to him

Joey look at her with a frown 'I don't think so' he said softly

"The sofa at mum's house in Exeter"

"That was a sofa bed…" he rolled his eyes

"Still counts" she said with a grin and she reached up for a kiss which quickly developed into something more.

*JL*JL*

Lauren glanced at the clock on Joey's bedside table from the vantage point of being draped across his chest. "Guess what?" she asked him as he kissed his chest

"What?" he asked her his voice laced with sleep

"It's midnight… so that means that it is Christmas Day" she told him as she trailed her lips over his chest to his neck and she sucked gently on the skin below his ear before kissing his earlobe.

Joey chuckled softly "And someone thinks that they should be allowed to open a Christmas present because they are still awake"

"Just a little one" she said knowing that she had been rumbled, she pushed herself up to look down at him "please?" she pouted down at him "I have been a good girl this year. Santa said so himself"' she reminded him once again of their evening of the 5 gold rings gift.

"That's true he did"' Joey nodded. "Okay…well I think that maybe if you look at the foot of the bed there might be a little something there for you" he told her

"Really?" she looked at him suspiciously. "Are you just telling me that so you can roll over and go to sleep?" she narrowed her eyes at him.

"No that thought hadn't crossed my mind until you just mentioned it, go and see" he said laughing.

She threw off the duvet covers and she scampered down the bed as Joey laughed and she squealed and giggled happily as she discovered a sock hanging off the end of the bed. She grinned as she made her way back to Joey who had pushed himself to sit up and covered himself with the duvet again. She tipped out the contents of the sock once she was back under the covers and Joey watched her, his eyes sparkling with amusement as she looked through the contents of the sock.

"A tangerine, a monkey nut and a mince pie and a gold condom?" she frowned at him. "Seriously Joey?" she pouted

"Is there no present in there?" he asked her pretending to be surprised but knowing full well that there wasn't

"No" she frowned and she shook her head

"Well you know why that is don't you?" he asked her, she blinked at him and shook her head again "It's because Santa doesn't come until all the good boy and girls are sound asleep in their beds" he grinned at her.

She glared at him and then she laughed "I hate you right now Branning!" she said as she put the sock and its contents on her bedside table and snuggled under the covers, rolling onto her side facing away from him.

"Hey that's Mr Santa to you" he said laughing as he moved up behind her gathering her into his arms. He kissed her shoulder as his hand slid to her stomach and he stroked it softly.

"Merry Christmas Munchkin, Merry Christmas Lauren" he whispered, Lauren's hand covered his and she squeezed gently.

"Merry Christmas Joey" she replied as she closed her eyes.

Joey lay awake after she had fallen asleep, running through his plans for his last gift to her, making sure that he had remembered to do everything that he needed to. Satisfied that he had he closed his eyes and he fell into a deep sleep.

**AN: So we hope that the news that Joey is going to be a daddy was as much of a surprise to you as it was to him. **

**Let me and CrazyChick 74 know what you think**

**R&R as always**

**One last gift to come… tomorrow 12 Drummers Drumming by Crazy Chick 74.**


	14. Chapter 14

**Sunday 25 December 2016**

Nervous anticipation began building within Joey as soon as he woke up. He slid out of the bed and walked into the kitchen. He grabbed his mobile from the side and dialed a number, "Is everything ready?" he asked. He listened to the response, "We'll be there later this afternoon..." he said. He glanced back at the bedroom, "No, she doesn't suspect a thing..." he said with a smile. He heard Lauren moving around the room, "I'd better go... Love you too..." he whispered. He ended the call quickly as she walked out of the bedroom, "Hey babe..." he said, walking over to her and wrapping his arms around her waist as he pulled her against him. "How are you both this morning?" he whispered before pressing his lips against her temple, still stunned by what she'd told him the night before.

"We're fine, baby... and no morning sickness today either," she said, resting her head against his bare chest, "Who were you on the phone to?" she asked.

"I was just listening to a voicemail message from my mum." He said.

*JL*JL*

"Do we really have to go out?" Lauren protested when Joey ushered her out of the flat just as it was starting to get dark. She wrapped her arms around her body and buried her face into her scarf, trying to shield herself from the bitter wind. "I can't believe you're making me go out in the cold."

"Don't you want to see your family?" he asked her.

"I'd rather stay snuggled up with you in our flat..." she admitted, pressing herself into the side of his body, using him as a shield too. In fact she'd spent the last few hours doing just that and she'd been in her happy place. She really wished she was still there and not heading over to the Vic because that was most definitely not her happy place. It was a place that held many bad memories for her. Joey smiled into the collar of his jacket and led her across to the gardens in the centre of the square. He counted the seconds until she mentioned it... "Joey, why is there a piano in the gardens?" she asked him softly. He stopped them beside the piano and Lauren turned to look at him, "Is this something to do with you?" she asked him, staring deeply into his eyes.

"Maybe," he admitted.

"What are you up to, baby?" she asked as he led her over to the bench which sat beside the Christmas tree in the garden. She stared at him as he walked a few feet away from her. She glanced at the piano again and saw that Dexter was now sitting at it and it looked like he was about to play it. Dexter waved at her quickly before placing his hands back on the piano keys.

_Oh the weather outside is frightful_

_But the fire is so delightful_

_And since we've no place to go_

_Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!_

Lauren looked back at Joey as soon as the first line left his mouth. Her mouth dropped open when she saw him standing a few feet away, singing to her. He looked so gorgeous.

_It doesn't show signs of stopping_

_And I've brought some corn for popping_

_The lights are turned way down low_

_Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!_

Lauren's head tilted back as she realised that there were snowflakes falling from the sky. Several fell on her face and she knew it wasn't real snow because they didn't melt. If she concentrated she could hear the whir of the snow machine behind her but she turned her gaze back to Joey, still blown away by what he was doing.

_The fire is slowly dying_

_And my dear we're still goodbyeing_

_But as long as you love me so_

_Let it snow! Let it snow! Let it snow!_

His voice was amazing and Lauren had to bite her lip to stop herself from throwing herself at him. She watched him for the rest of the song, sitting there as the fake snowflakes fell around her. The song ended and he stood in the centre of the garden. She could tell he was nervous about what he'd just done but there was something else that she couldn't quite name in the depth of his eyes.

"So I guess it's time for your gift..." he said softly. Lauren glanced around but she couldn't see anything that would be linked to drummer's anywhere. "Happy twelfth day of Christmas, babe..." he said. The music started again and then she heard it... the distant sound of drums. He started to sing and again he became her focus, everything else fading into the distance.

_I'm dreaming of a white Christmas_

_Just like the ones I used to know_

_Where the tree tops glisten_

_And the children listen_

_To hear sleigh bells in the snow_

_I'm dreaming of a white Christmas_

_With every Christmas card I write_

_May your days be merry and bright_

_And may all your Christmasses be white_

Lauren heard the drums get louder and then she saw them, her friends and family walking out of the pub, each carrying a drum that they were tapping on, in time with the piano and Joey. She looked at each person as they walked out onto the street and stood in the road on the other side of the railings. There was her dad, Abi, Jay, her nan, Peter, Joey's mum Sarah, Alice, Liam and Fatboy. The last three that came out of the pub brought tears to her eyes. Her Uncle Jack, her mum and Oscar. All of them were smiling at her as they got into place. She turned her attention back to Joey and as the song ended she was vaguely aware of the sound of the snow machine grinding to a halt. She saw the slightly panicked look on Joey's face as he glanced at someone behind her. Then he looked up at the sky and the most beautiful smile appeared on his face. It was then that Lauren realised it was really snowing, all the fake snow being replaced by proper snowflakes. It was almost like Joey had planned it but that was impossible... right? One look at his face told that he was as surprised as she was.

Joey looked back at her again and then he walked to her, holding his hand out towards her. She took it and he tugged her to her feet, "Merry Christmas..." he whispered.

"Merry Christmas to you too," she replied. She looked around, seeing her friends and families still standing on the street. Then she realised that everyone else from the square was also gathered around the garden, watching her and Joey. "I can't believe you did all this…..."

"Well, it's Christmas Day... I wanted it to be a day you remembered."

"I remember every day with you, Joey..." she whispered. She glanced at her family again, "Mum, Oscar and Uncle Jack are here..." she whispered.

"I know... I had some help from your dad and your sister on those..." he told her softly. He was holding both of her hands and as Lauren looked up at his face she could see there was still something he wasn't telling her.

"Talk to me, baby..." she said.

"There are a couple more things," he breathed, letting go of one of her hands and lifting it, brushing her hair back from her face and tucking it behind her ear in his trademark move that was just hers. Lauren turned her face into the palm of his hand. She lifted her hand and held his against her cheek. "I had everything planned out..." he whispered, "I knew what I was going to say... and now the moment's here and my mind is blank..." he admitted. Again there was fear in his eyes and Lauren watched as he pulled away from her and took a deep breath. Her breath faltered as she saw him smoothly go down on one knee and she bit her lip when he looked up at her face, "You know I'm not one for fancy words... that I've always struggled with telling anyone how I've felt about them... You've always been different though, babe. You're the one person in my life that made me truly believe that I'm nothing like my father... you gave me a purpose and made me want to be the kind of guy that could be with someone like you." He stopped speaking for a minute and they just stared at each other, "Lauren Branning, will you do me the honour of becoming my wife?" he asked her softly.

Lauren's heart stopped... literally... in that moment. She'd never thought she would hear those words from him. He'd never believed in marriage and given the fallout from her parent's tumultuous relationship, she wasn't completely sure she blamed him. "Is this because of what I told you last night?" she whispered. She saw his face drop and felt awful for not giving him an answer but she needed to know the reasons behind his proposal first.

He'd lowered his head at her question and when he lifted it again, Lauren could see the love in his eyes. "Babe..." he whispered, "All of this takes more than a few hours to throw together..." he said softly as his eyes ran around the square. "I've been planning this for months... I've known I wanted to do this for a long time. I wanted to do this last year but I knew that I wasn't ready then. I was scared that it was too soon... that there were still things we needed to sort out between us, but I was wrong. I think the biggest thing that stopped me doing it was that I wasn't sure I was the right guy for you. I was just second guessing myself though. I asked your dad for permission back in the summer. That was when I made the decision to ask you today. When you suggested this 12 days thing everything fell into place and I knew today was be the perfect time to ask you the most important question I've ever asked anyone. So I started to plan this... I got your family and friends here, arranged for them to have drums and to learn their parts, I convinced Alfie to sort out a snow machine, Dexter to play the piano... fitted in a couple of singing lessons and got everything else ready. I wanted it to be perfect," He lifted her hand and kissed her knuckles tenderly, "I may have also got this for you..." he whispered, reaching into his jacket pocket and pulling out that much sought after little black box. He opened it and showed her what was inside.

Lauren stared at him in wonder because there inside the box was the very ring she'd spent so much time gazing at; the solitaire diamond ring she'd wanted him to give her last year. "Joey..." she whispered.

"Are you going to answer my question, babe...?" he murmured.

"Yes..." she whispered.

He stared at her, not sure which question she was answering, "Was that a yes, you'll be my wife?" he asked softly. She nodded her head, a huge lump forming in her throat as she saw the relief in his eyes at her confirmation. He hugged her from his kneeling position and her arms wound around his neck, pulling him against her stomach. She felt him press his mouth against her belly and a tear ran down her face.

"Get up, baby..." she whispered, the tears flowing faster now. He frowned but did as she said and got to his feet. "You say you're not one for fancy words and then you say all that... I've loved you since the first day I saw you, Joey Branning." She told him, "I've dreamt about you asking me that question for the last two years but I never thought you'd go to this much trouble to ask me it." She smiled at him, reaching up and brushing away the one lone tear that fell down his cheek. "Yes, Joey... I will be your wife... I would never say no to you because you're the only guy I am going to do this with and we're only going to do this once... just so you know." She winked at him, "So are you going to put that beautiful ring on my finger and then kiss me?" she giggled.

"If you insist..." he said with a soft smile. He pulled the ring from the box and lifted her hand, sliding it gently onto her ring finger. Lauren looked at how pretty it looked on her hand but Joey distracted her by lifting her chin, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a smile. It seemed an age before his lips met hers and she was kind of aware of the cheering and clapping of the people around them but most of her focus was on Joey. He was hers now... well, he had been for a few years but now it was official. She was going to be Mrs. Joseph Branning and she didn't think she'd ever been this happy in her life. He pulled away from her and then stepped away altogether, winking at her as he saw the confused expression on her face. She saw him look at Dexter who was still sat at the piano and when he began to sing again, her heart melted.

_I don't want a lot for Christmas_

_There is just one thing I need_

_I don't care about those presents_

_Underneath the Christmas tree_

_I just want you for my own_

_More than you could ever know_

_Make my wish come true_

_You know that all I want for Christmas_

_Is you..._

_I won't ask for much this Christmas_

_I won't even ask for snow_

_No, I'm just gonna keep on waiting_

_Underneath the mistletoe_

_There's no sense in hanging stockings_

_There upon the fireplace_

_Cause Santa he won't make me happy_

_With a toy on Christmas Day_

_I just want you here tonight_

_Holding on to me so tight_

_Girl, what can I do?_

_You know that all I want for Christmas_

_Is you..._

Lauren was transfixed as she watched and listened to him sing, knowing that every single word was meant from the heart. In that moment it was just the two of them in the square; all of the other residents were gone as far as she was concerned. The song brought tears to her eyes again and then Joey was in front of her, wiping those tears away as he continued to sing. As the song ended and Dexter finished playing the piano Joey pulled her against him and kissed the top of her head. "I love you, babe." He said softly.

"Love you too, Joey..." she whispered.

The next few minutes passed in a blur as the twelve drummers and Dexter gathered around them congratulating and hugging them both. Those minutes were followed by an hour or so in the pub with the rest of the square doing the same thing. Lauren could barely focus on any of it... she would never be able to remember what any of them said to her because all she was aware of was Joey holding her hand, Joey periodically pressing his lips onto her hair, her face, her mouth. She was absorbed by the fact that whenever she glanced at Joey she found he was watching her, his emotions for her clearly on display in a way she'd never seen before... not with other people present anyway. After just under two hours there was just one other thing on Lauren's mind. She wanted Joey... NOW and if they didn't go home to the privacy of their flat right fucking now... she's do that here in the bar... with the rest of the square watching them.

"Can we get out of here?" she whispered as she moved her mouth to his ear, seeing the knowing smirk appear on his face. She'd said something similar to him before, when the two of them were on a double date with Fats and Poppy – not that Fats and Poppy knew that as they didn't know Joey and Lauren were dating at that time. She'd got the same reaction from him then too.

"Guys, we're going to call it a night..." Joey said, downing the rest of his drink. They ignored the looks from friends and family as Joey helped Lauren to her feet. He put his arm around her back, hugging her against his side as they walked out of the pub. The snow was thicker on the ground now as they walked back over to their flat.

"I'm not sure I said it earlier, baby... but thank you..." Lauren whispered.

"What for?" he asked, although he suspected her answer.

"Giving me the perfect Christmas..." she said as he slid the key in the door to their flat.

"Well, by my reckoning, I still have a few hours left, babe..." he whispered, ushering her through the door and slamming it shut behind him. He spun her round and pressed against the door he'd just shut, crushing his mouth to hers, the passion quickly building between them. Joey ran his hands up her thighs, pushing the skirt of her dress higher and his fingers easing her knickers off her hips. Lauren moaned as she felt his fingers slide into her, her hips rocking against his hand as he continued to stroke her.

"Oh god, Joey..." she moaned, stretching her neck so she could kiss his mouth. "I need you, baby..." she whimpered and Joey needed little more encouragement from her. She leant against the wall as he literally tore his coat off his body. He was gentler as he eased her coat from her, his hands brushing over her body again. "I really need you, Joey..." she said, her hands moving urgently to his jeans and fighting with his belt and the zip before his jeans were thrust down to his thighs. He lifted her off the floor, sliding his length into her welcoming body, most of their clothes still on their bodies. They both moaned and their kisses became more frantic. This time was hard and fast as they both gave in to the emotions that had escalated since they'd left the flat earlier that day. "Harder, baby..." she sighed as he sank into her, deeper than before. "That's it..." she cried out as he complied with her every demand. It didn't take much before they both came. Joey felt his length slip from her body and he sagged against her, his energy spent after the tension of the day and the stress of not knowing if Lauren would say yes was finally released.

*JL*JL*

After regaining some strength he pushed away from the wall and carefully stripped the rest of her clothes from her body. She smiled at him tenderly as she leant against the wall, her eyes raking over his body as he quickly removed what he was still wearing. He lifted her off her feet and into his arms and carried her through to their bedroom. He laid her on the bed and climbed in behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, his hand settling on her stomach, "So I was thinking, babe..." he whispered, pressing his mouth against her shoulder.

"Should I be worried?" she giggled.

"Maybe..." he admitted and Lauren glanced back at him, not expecting him to say that. "How would you feel about getting married on New Year's Eve?" he asked her softly.

"Are you in a rush?" she asked him, frowning at him.

"Well, I want us to be married before the baby is born... and I'm not desperate for a lavish wedding unless you are... just something simple will suit me, with a few friends and family there. Your mum and Oscar are already here. So is Uncle Jack." He paused and looked at her face, "And I may have already booked it..." he whispered, not quite able to meet her eyes.

"You have?" she gasped.

"Yeah... I hoped you would say yes..." he murmured, taking a deep breath before speaking again, "I want us to start next year as husband and wife... a fresh start for us both..." he added softly. "All you need to do is sort a dress... and turn up."

"I'm sure I've got something I can wear..." she said.

"I want you to get a dress... to get something special for the day..."

"Let's do this, Joey..." She said excitedly as she twisted in his arms so she could look at him better.

"I'm glad you said that, babe..." he whispered, kissing her passionately. "Do you think you can get the time off work for a honeymoon?" he said with a small smirk.

"I'll try my best..." Lauren whispered. She moved back to her original position and they settled into a comfortable silence.

*JL*JL*

Lauren could hear the faint sound of Joey snoring in her ear and she could feel it lulling her to sleep. The room was dark apart from the fairy lights that hung above the bed. She glanced, not for the first time, at her left hand, her eyes focusing on the sparkling ring that made it look so much more beautiful. She hadn't thought she could be as happy as she was now. She thought after everything she'd been through she didn't deserve to be this happy. Joey's left hand was resting on her very small bump and that made her happy too. No one else would know, from looking at her, about the baby but she liked the fact that her and Joey could see a very small sign of their child that was growing within her. They were a proper family and in seven days time it would be official.

**AN: So, okay, it was a little cheesy but Joey wanted it to be special... and hopefully you can agree it was that. I may have been listening to Michael Buble when I wrote this and feeling very Christmassy.**

**Let me and Eastendersfan444 know what you think... One more chapter to go... the epilogue... Back tomorrow.**

**R&R as always **


	15. Chapter 15

Lauren thought back to her wedding to Joey. Despite the fact it was very soon after their engagement, none of the family had put up any objections. Joey had had everything in place; got all of the necessary paperwork ready and they had told their parents on Boxing Day. Lauren had been a little concerned that they would all kick off about it; that they'd say it was too soon but they'd just smiled and said it was a lovely idea. She'd had a great day, going shopping for a dress with her mum, Abi, Sarah and Alice. None of them knew about the baby as Joey and Lauren had decided to keep that news a secret until after the honeymoon. There was only so much they could throw at everyone without something coming back to bite them on the bum.

In the end the dress had practically chosen itself. Given the immediacy of her need for it, there were much fewer dresses available to her which in some ways was a blessing. Lauren only found a couple that she really liked but it was her own and Joey's mum's reactions which made the decision for her. She'd fallen in love with the dress immediately and although it was a little more than she'd intended to spend and it was definitely a one-off purchase she felt so graceful in it and it hid her tiny bump beautifully. It was made from the softest satin Lauren had ever seen that fell in gentle pleats from the bodice. The bust of the dress was boned and there was lace on the sheer panel at the neck. She felt like a princess wearing it and she was certainly going to be marrying her prince.

She'd stood in the centre of the shop once she came out of the changing room and both her mum and Sarah had had tears in their eyes as they looked at her. Alice and Abi were smiling at her too. Lauren spun round and then her mum rushed forward and hugged her tightly, telling her how beautiful she looked. Lauren hoped Joey would love it as much as everyone else seemed to. Lauren knew that she loved it... so she hoped he would too.

*JL*JL*

Lauren remembered the moment her dad had walked her towards Joey, early in the afternoon of New Year's Eve. Joey had turned to look at her and again, there was that smile; the one she'd seen on Christmas Day. The smile he saved only for her. The ceremony had passed in a blur, another ring was added to her finger and she'd got to put one on his hand too. Then he'd kissed her and everyone else just faded into the background.

*JL*JL*

The reception was at Scarlett's, which was a little awkward with Jake still working there but Lauren didn't care. She had who she wanted with her forever so she ignored him, which was surprisingly easy to do as she had Joey now. Part of her wondered if Joey had booked it there on purpose, knowing Jake would be there... but then Lucy walked into the room, waitressing at the event, and the awkwardness escalated further. She knew Joey wouldn't have done that to her... or himself.

She lost those feelings of doubt when Joey pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. All thoughts of their previous relationships disappeared in an instant as his lips met hers. She moaned into his mouth and heard him chuckle as he pulled away... although that may have had something to do with the fact his hand was on her bum.

The meal at the reception had been lovely but Lauren ate very little of it... she couldn't stop staring at Joey. Her eyes couldn't move away from him. She'd realised how gorgeous he looked in his suit... but it wasn't just that that caught her attention. He had an inner sexiness that was literally oozing from him and she could feel her pulse starting to race. Honestly, this baby had a lot to answer for... her sex drive was sky high at the moment and the morning sickness that she'd been trying to hide so valiantly for the last two weeks was a motherfucking bitch she hated as well.

She reached across to her husband... those two words had such a nice ring to it and they made her smile as she thought them. Anyway, she reached across to Joey and took his hand in hers, lacing their fingers together and squeezing it gently as she looked into his eyes. It was her dad that broke the moment between them by tapping on the side of his wine glass. He got to his feet and started to make a speech, as father of the bride. Lauren had hoped they could skip this bit but as it turned out what her dad said moved her and brought tears to her eyes... in a good way. He'd spoken about how proud of her he was; how she'd changed her life and faced up to her issues, dealing with them head on. Then he moved onto the subject of her and Joey and Lauren held her breath... she remembered clearly how her parents had reacted to the news of her relationship with her cousin. She needn't have worried though because her dad had waxed lyrical about how the two of them had suited each other so well, how Joey had given Lauren the stability she needed; how he had loved her and looked after her which was all a father could ever ask for his daughter. Lauren couldn't help thinking that he was glossing over some of the bad times they'd gone through but the sentiment was there... and in many ways her dad had been their biggest fan. He'd got them back together just over four years ago after interference from Derek and her own mum had tore them apart.

*JL*JL*

Lauren had danced in Joey's arms that night, her head resting on his shoulder, feeling completely at peace and so very happy. She had her arms wrapped around his waist... and one of her hands may have slipped down the back of his trousers, touching his hot skin tenderly. His hands were on her bum again... this was becoming a habit... but Lauren didn't care. She liked that her husband found her sexy... she hoped that remained the case over the coming months.

"Have I told you how stunning you look, babe?" he murmured in her ear, his lips caressing her skin softly.

"Not today," she breathed with a small smile.

"You are practically glowing, Mrs. Branning... I'm surprised our mums haven't guessed our other bit of news." He whispered to her. "I'm really looking forward to taking this dress off you later."

"I'm looking forward to that as well, Mr. Branning..." she giggled.

Joey lifted his hand and pulled the hair slide from the top of her head, her hair fell around her shoulders in curls that she knew he liked. He put the slide in his jacket pocket and then pushed the hair back from her face, tucking it behind her ear, "That's better..." he whispered, winking at her. "I've wanted to do that since I saw you at the registry office." He breathed as his mouth kissed her cheek.

"I love you too..." she whispered, looking up at his face.

Someone cleared their throat behind her and Lauren lifted her head, turning to look at the intruder, "Would you like a drink?" Lucy said, a small smirk on her face as she held a tray of full champagne glasses in her hands.

Lauren turned back to her husband, refusing to take the bait and ruin her day. Joey scowled at the blonde and then turned them away from her, ignoring her presence and concentrating on his wife.

"Lucy, what are you doing?" Ian hissed, having heard what his daughter had said.

"My job, dad..." she said innocently.

"Kitchen... now!" he said, his voice sharp despite its lack of volume. Lucy stomped off into the kitchen and Ian apologised to the bride and groom.

"I'm sorry, babe..." Joey whispered a few minutes later.

"It's fine, baby... I'm not letting anything spoil today. There is going to be no drama from Lucy or Jake to put a dampener on our day." She whispered back. "Kiss me, Joey..." she breathed, staring into his eyes.

"If I must..." he teased her with a smile. His lips met hers in a tender kiss that didn't take long to deepen.

*JL*JL*

Joey had carried her over the threshold, into their flat. He carried her through to their bedroom, then lowered her to her feet and moved to stand behind her. He swept her hair to one side and kissed the back of her neck, his fingers gently undoing the back of her dress. She heard him inhale when he saw the delicate underwear she was wearing. Her bra was practically see-through and when her dress pooled around her ankles she knew he would be able to see the thong she was wearing... what little of it there was. He growled against her neck and tore the knickers from her. The bra was removed with slightly more care and then she stood there, naked, in front of him. He pressed his body behind her and Lauren could feel he was still fully clothed. He brushed his lips in front of her ear, his hand running down her body and curving onto her stomach. "Did our baby have a good time today?" he whispered to her.

"I think he or she is too small to have any feelings one way or another..." Lauren giggled, "but I'd like to think that as mummy and daddy were both happy, it stands to reason that 'it' would've had a good time too." She breathed.

"You are so gorgeous..." he murmured, his thumb stroking her stomach softly.

Lauren turned to face him, "So are you," she told him, smiling as she saw him roll his eyes. Her hands lifted to his tie and she undid it, pulling it from around his neck. Her hands made quick work of his shirt and soon it was on the floor beside her dress, Joey having removed his jacket while she sorted his tie. "I think it's time you made love to your wife, Joseph..." she breathed. Her hand ran down his chest and squeezed his impressive length through his trousers.

"Do you know how much I want you right now?" he moaned as her hand tightened on him. She shook her head, leaning forward and kissing his chest. "So much... I've wanted you since this morning, when your dad was walking you towards me... Fuck it, babe, I want you all the time... but right now, you're mine... my wife... the mother of my child... I've never felt this way about anyone before and I know I won't again."

Lauren smiled up at him, "I thought you weren't one for fancy words?" she teased him. She looked into his eyes, both of them getting lost in that moment briefly. "Show me..." she said softly.

"Are you sure?" he asked, his hand cupping the side of her face.

"More than I have ever been..." she whispered.

Joey lifted her off her feet and she wound her legs around his waist, clinging to him as she kissed his neck. He lowered her carefully to the bed then pulled away from her and removed his trousers. Lauren lay on the bed watching him and she could see the desire on his face as he crawled across the bed so he was hovering above her. "I won't hurt you or the baby?" he whispered. She shook her head, biting her lip as she saw his eyes darken. He thrust inside her quickly as soon as she answered him and they both moaned, the sexual tension that had built between them throughout the day being released with that one quick move. The passion between them really escalated with each forceful thrust of Joey's hips. His hands were gripping her hips tightly and each thrust seemed to get a little bit deeper than the one before.

"I love you... I love you... I love you..." she gasped each time he buried his length back inside her, her hands clawing at his back as she neared her peak. Lauren had come first, closely followed by Joey. Lauren's scream had echoed around the flat while Joey made less noise as his face was pressed into her neck. They had made love several times that night, only falling asleep in the early hours of the New Year.

*JL*JL*

The new Mr. and Mrs. Branning flew to the Maldives on the 2nd January for ten days. Lauren had been surprised as this was the holiday location they'd discussed when they were at the House of Lords... it transpired that Joey had been sounding her out about the location he'd booked for the honeymoon. The resort they stayed at was beautiful, surrounded by white sandy beaches and although there were quite a lot of people there it didn't feel crowded or too busy. Their villa had a Jacuzzi outside it, filled with cold water, that Joey and Lauren spent most evenings in so Lauren didn't get too overheated. They spent a day in the spa at the resort getting pampered and had also gone snorkelling. Lauren had loved their time away, catching some sun and just relaxing. She'd loved spending the time with her husband and getting used to married life... although they were still caught up in their own little bubble of newly wedded bliss. She'd also really enjoyed the sex... which had been plentiful, more than enough to keep her hormonal needs satisfied. Joey treated her like a princess and worshipped her from head to toe.

Looking back at it now, the most amazing experience had been one of the last few nights they'd been there. They'd had a lovely meal in one of the restaurants but had left relatively early. They'd walked along the beach, paddling their feet in the water as they wandered back towards their villa. Neither of them was ready to call it a night though and they'd ended up in a far part of the resort, at the end of a beach. Joey had found this place on the map of the resort at the start of the holiday and he led her over to one of the large hammocks, lifting her and placing her in the centre of one. She'd shifted across it and then watched with a smile on her face as he carefully climbed onto the hammock with her, a small pulse of fear ebbing through her when it tipped and she thought she was going to fall out. There was definitely an art to getting in one of these things. They lay together in each other's arms for some time, watching the sun setting across the water. Once it was dark Joey made his move, kissing her tenderly as the hammock swayed with them. He ran his hands up her legs, slowly peeling her bikini bottoms from her so his hand could explore beneath her sarong. Joey pulled off his shirt and undid his shorts, shoving them down his legs as far as he could without getting out of the hammock. They managed to move so Lauren was straddling him, losing her sarong in the process and she lowered herself onto him, moaning as he brushed against her insides. Their pace was slow as they couldn't go very fast in case the hammock tipped them both out but that suited them both. They stared into each other's eyes as Lauren moved on him, the thrill of getting caught as they did this made it an even more intense experience. The cool, gentle breeze from the sea blew across their naked bodies and added another facet to what they were feeling as well.

His hands crept up her body, cupping her breasts; breasts that seemed to be increasing in size on a daily basis at the moment – much to Joey's joy. She liked him touching them though... because not only were they larger, they were also much more sensitive. A simple brush across her nipples with his thumb and she was off like a rocket on Firework's Night. Joey knew this as much as she did so when he did just that, he knew the result he was going to get and it worked like a charm because Lauren broke apart around him, his name falling from her lips. Her body gripped his cock so tightly and it pushed him over the edge too.

Lauren collapsed on him, laying on top of his body, a little scared to try moving until she'd regained some energy. "This little munchkin is going to get us in so much trouble, if we carry on like this, baby," she whispered.

Joey moved them slightly and his hand brushed over her stomach, "It's never going to happen, babe," he whispered. "Anyway we're perfectly capable of getting ourselves into trouble without having to blame it on the baby." He chuckled.

*JL*JL*

A few days later they'd returned to the UK and Albert Square. They went to see Lauren's dad after they'd been home for a day, having caught up on their sleep and with bits around the flat. During their honeymoon they'd made the decision, now Lauren was past the twelve week mark that they should tell him and the rest of their parents about the baby. Lauren was a little apprehensive about how he would react... she just hoped he would see how happy the two of them were. She was surprised to find her mum and Oscar there too.

"I didn't think you'd be here, mum..." Lauren said after she'd hugged her parents.

"We came up for the weekend. I told the school Oscar was sick. He wanted to see you and Joey after the honeymoon and I thought he should see your dad too." Her mum said. "Did you have a good time away, sweetheart?"

"It was great... we had a really relaxing time." Her dad went to get them all cups of tea or coffee and Lauren spent a few minutes with her brother, giving him the present she'd brought him back. He loved his bongos... she wasn't so sure that her mum was quite as pleased with them though from the look on her face. After a short while, Oscar was doing some colouring in the dining room and the four adults were sitting in the lounge. "Mum, Dad... we wanted to talk to you..." she said as they sat on the couch.

"What is it, babe?" her dad asked.

Lauren glanced at Joey and smiled at him as he took her hand, squeezing it gently. "We're having a baby..." she whispered.

"I knew it..." her mum exclaimed.

"You did?" Lauren and her dad both said.

"I'm your mother, Lauren... I suspected when we went dress shopping but I knew when you walked in the door a few minutes ago." Her mum said.

"Are you saying I already look fat?" Lauren asked in horror.

"No, sweetheart... but I've been pregnant three times and I know the signs." She said softly, "You're almost glowing, darling."

"Told you so..." Joey whispered as he hugged her.

"Is this why the wedding was so fast?" her dad asked.

"No, dad." Lauren whispered, "Joey organised that before I even told him about the baby. And he'd made plans to propose too, you know that... I only told him about the baby on Christmas Eve."

"How far along are you, darling?"

"I was eleven weeks on Christmas Eve... I'll be fourteen weeks on Saturday..." she said. "Would you like to see a picture?" she asked them both. They nodded and she picked up her handbag, pulling out a slight worn scan picture that both her and Joey had looked at on a very regular basis since Christmas Eve. Both her parents looked at it... not that there was very much to see, of course. It was apparently about the size of a kumquat when the scan was done. "So are you okay about this, dad?" she asked him softly as he studied the picture.

"Of course, I am, babe... you're making me a granddad... what's there not to be okay about?" he said, "Of course, I'm far too young to be a granddad but there you go." He said with a wry smile.

"Course you are, dad..." Lauren giggled, "You'll be the coolest, hippest granddad in the square."

"So when's it due?" Max asked.

"The middle of July," Joey said, kissing Lauren softly on the mouth. Both parents could see how happy they were with their news and that made them both happy too.

*JL*JL*

Joey and Lauren settled into married life easily. It wasn't really that different to how it had been when they were just living together. That's not to say it was all plain sailing. With Lauren being pregnant, it was fair to say she was prone to the odd mood swing as the hormones kicked in. She felt awful; she knew she was being irrational but she just couldn't stop her temper from flaring. The first time it happened was probably the worst time because she'd been a little less aware of what was going on... and as for Joey, he was even more unsuspecting. Lauren could remember it clearly... because it was also their first row since they'd got married.

They had officially been married for two months and Lauren was going to the club with some lunch... and a cake for a small celebration. She'd walked down the stairs and looked into the office. He wasn't there, which meant he was in the bar. She remembered he'd said something about someone new coming in today and that Joey would be training them on serving and working the till. Lauren walked into the bar and saw Joey behind the bar. He always looked so at home there and Lauren had a flashback to when they were first dating. He hadn't seen her yet and Lauren felt the tension increase in her body as she saw the person he was training. A pretty blonde who happened to be ultra skinny – a pretty lethal combination as far as Lauren was concerned... and she reminded Lauren of Lucy... which was never a good thing... and in her opinion Joey was standing far too close to her for Lauren's liking. The fact the girl was stick thin didn't help Lauren's rationality, given she felt like she resembled a beached whale at the moment... which was far from the truth but there was no convincing her.

"Am I disturbing something?" Lauren said, her voice hard and yet showing more emotion than she would've liked. Joey spun round to face her and his face lit up but Lauren's attention was focused on the blonde; who she automatically distrusted. "I bought us lunch... but I can see you're busy..." she whispered. She spun on her heel and ran back up the stairs and out of the club. She made her way quickly through the square, her free hand unconsciously rubbing her small bump. She didn't want to go back to the flat so she sat on the bench in the middle of the gardens. Had it really only been just over two months since she'd sat here last? When Joey had proposed to her... and already he was looking elsewhere. Why was she so surprised? He had previous...

"I don't know what you think was happening, babe... but I can tell you, you were wrong..." She looked up and found him standing in the same place. She began to cry, which later she would realise was a complete over reaction on her part... as was many things she'd done in those few minutes. Joey sat on the bench beside her, his arm wrapping around her shoulders and pulling her close to him. "Did you say something about lunch?" he asked her with a soft smile.

"I've lost my appetite..." she whispered, passing him the bag.

"I'm sure Munchkin is hungry..." he said softly, pulling out the sandwiches and passing her hers.

"I know what I do and don't need, Joseph!" she snapped, her hand flying up to her mouth and covering it as soon as she'd said the words. "I'm sorry..." she whispered, "I don't know what's going on with me today..."

"I'm guessing it's your hormones, babe... but it doesn't matter..."

"It does, Joey... the things I was thinking about you... You must hate me..." she whispered, clutching her sandwich in her hands.

He took her lunch back from her and took both her hands in his. "I could never hate you, babe. I love you more than I love anything else. I would do anything to make you smile because seeing you cry like this kills me." He wiped away her tears and kissed her softly, seeing her eyes flutter shut. "Now shall we go back to the flat and eat our lunch?" he asked her. Lauren nodded. Joey packed away the lunch and passed her back the bag. He stood and then lifted Lauren into his arms, laughing when he heard her shriek.

Over the next few hours, they ate their lunch and talked. Lauren apologised again for over reacting the way she had. Joey forgave her, realising that it was the baby affecting her in addition to her own insecurities. He loved his wife and he would never stray – he just needed her to believe that.

Lauren put a candle in the cupcake she'd brought for them to share and lit it. She carried it back over to him and placed it before him, sitting on his lap and putting her arms around his neck. "Happy two month anniversary, baby..." she whispered, kissing his jaw.

"May we have a gazillion more, babe." He said softly, leaning forward and blowing out the candle with her.

*JL*JL*

Lauren opened her eyes and looked at the two most important people in her life sitting in the chair beside her bed. It had been a long day but she wouldn't change it for the world. Today was the day their little munchkin was born. Their daughter. Despite the fact it was her due date she'd still managed to surprise them; Lauren, in particular. In some ways Lauren had been trying to pretend today would never come. She'd enjoyed her pregnancy so much there was a little bit of her that didn't want it to end. Lauren smiled as she saw her husband lower his head and kiss their little girl on the forehead. He was already completely smitten with her, Lauren could tell. Although Lauren was pretty sure she was exactly the same too.

He glanced up at her just as she was thinking that and her special smile was present once more. Both of them were so happy now. Tired but very happy. She shifted on the bed, wincing as her body protested any kind of movement.

"Do you need something, babe?" he asked, watching her as she shifted onto her side.

Lauren shook her head, "I have everything I need in that chair there..." she whispered, smiling as she nodded her head at him.

"I have everything I need here too..." he said, "She's so beautiful, Lauren... she's the spitting image of her mummy... I fell in love with her the first time I saw her too." He admitted with a smile.

"She looks like you too..." Lauren protested softly.

Joey moved closer and they spent several minutes looking at their sleeping daughter. Joey leant towards Lauren and kissed her softly. "I'm so proud of you, Lauren..." he whispered. "And I love you very much. You've made me the happiest man in the world." A tear ran down her face, "What's wrong?" he asked her in concern, his hand lifting and brushing her hair away from her face and tucking it behind her ear.

"I was just thinking the same thing, baby..." she whispered. "I didn't think I could be this happy..." she told him, "When I think about how close I came to losing it all..." She wiped at her eyes, "I nearly made the biggest mistake of my life and if I had, we never would've had her... and the thought of that hurts."

"Well, she's here now, babe." He reminded her, "And as for what you've just said, I think we would've got back together. I loved you, Lauren and I know you loved me. We would've made it work... I know it in my heart." He kissed her again and her hand brushed the side of his face. "Would you like to hold her?" he asked her softly.

"Please..." she breathed. He got to his feet and bent down to give their daughter to her. "Hello Munchkin..." she whispered, her finger brushing the side of her face, "I guess we should start calling you by your proper name now though, eh?" she said softly. She glanced at Joey and he nodded his head. They'd agreed the name a couple of months ago. "Mummy and daddy already love you very much, Eve Branning." She said. It was Joey that had suggested the name and said his reason for it and she'd agreed quickly. It was a beautiful name and when he told her why he'd thought of it, she loved it even more. He said Eve was appropriate because he'd found out about her on Christmas Eve and then they'd got married on New Year's Eve so Eve seemed like the right name for their little girl when they'd been choosing names. Adam had the boys name they'd come up with... because it went so well with Eve.

*JL*JL*

Lauren looked down at Eve as she tucked her into her cot. It had been a whirlwind few months, she couldn't believe that their daughter was already four months old. Joey walked out of the bathroom as she walked back into the lounge. He'd been clearing it up after bath time for Eve... which was usually a messy experience as she liked to kick her feet and splash her daddy. She was a little bit of a daddy's girl but she shared beautiful smiles with both her parents.

"I was thinking, babe." He said as she put the baby monitor on the table and then curled up on the couch beside him.

"That's what that noise was," she teased him, kissing his jaw softly.

"I'm being serious..." he said. "It'll be Christmas soon... and I thought maybe we should keep up with tradition... another 12 days..."

"Won't it get a bit old, if we do it again?" she asked.

"I thought maybe we could switch days this time... I do day 1 and you finish with day 12..." he said, watching her face and trying to see if she liked the idea.

"Hmm... that's sounds good..." she said.

"Then maybe next year we can do the 12 days together... but we buy the gifts for Eve..." he said.

"She'll be old enough to understand everything a bit more by then..." Lauren agreed. She laughed, "Of course once we start that tradition, she will expect it every year."

"That suits me fine, babe..." he said. "Nothing but the best for my girls, right?"

"What did I do to deserve you?" Lauren whispered.

"You took a risk and followed your heart... you made me fall in love with you even though I knew it would never be easy for us to be together."

"Well, you did tell me you liked a challenge, baby." Lauren giggled.

"You, babe, are most definitely a challenge." He chuckled, kissing her and grabbing her hands when she tried to hit him. He pushed her backwards, deepening the kiss as he leaned over her. Lauren wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him close. It wasn't often they got to do this... not with a four month old daughter who had impeccable timing. "I love you, Lauren Branning."

"I love you too, Joey... Here's to another great twelve days of Christmas."

**The End. **

**AN: I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for reading this story and I hope that you enjoyed it.**

**I would also like to thank Crazy Chick 74 for agreeing to write it with me at very short notice and for her amazing, beautiful, stunning chapters. It has been so much fun writing this with you, and I think we have done an amazing job, the words and ideas just seemed to flow and flow and flow from each of us. Wanna do it again? **

**Thank you all for taking the time to read 12 Days of Christmas and for your reviews. **

**For those of you who have asked, Yes I am writing another story and I hope to begin posting it soon….. It's called Revelry (thank you Crazy Chick 74 for the title)**

**And Crazy Chick 74 is also going to have a new story for you all to read very soon and I have to tell you it's AMAZING! **

**Eastendersfan444. **


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